Changing the Past, Saving the Future
by CeliaEquus
Summary: Adopted from NoahPuckermansWifey. When Hermione is almost raped, she ends up in the past with no idea why. Join her - and the Marauders - as she changes the past to save the future. Usual disclaimers apply.
1. Almost Rape and a Sudden Arrival

**Chapter 1: Almost Rape and a Sudden Arrival**

"Ron, please understand. I just don't feel the same way; you're like a brother to me. I'm sorry," Hermione said sadly.

She just couldn't understand why he was being so bloody difficult! She had been talking with him for well over an hour trying to make him see that her feelings for him were no more than that of siblings. He kept insisting that she was just playing hard to get.

"I do understand. I understand that you're still playing hard to get. Don't worry; I know how much you want me. Well, you can have me!" he said in what he tried to make a seductive tone but failed miserably.

Then all of a sudden she was pinned against the wall and his disgusting lips were on hers. He shoved his repulsive tongue into her mouth and took her struggling and pushing against his chest as a positive reaction. She couldn't help but to gag as he pushed his tongue further down her throat. His hands started to roam her body and go up into her shirt causing her to struggle more desperately.

He broke the kiss to gasp for air and she took the chance and screamed "HELP!" at the top of her lungs before he cut her off by pulling her face back to his and ripping her shirt off. He was pulled away from her just as he had started to reach for her shorts by an unknown force that she was thankful for.

She looked up and saw Sirius, Remus, and Harry all in the room looking absolutely livid. She sank to the floor, her hands covering her face and shaking with sobs. To say she was shocked was an understatement. One could even go as far as to say she was traumatized. Ron was supposed to be one of her best friends and he just dealt her the ultimate betrayal.

Her loud sobs and half-dressed state attracted the attention of four people. Feeling a sudden chill, Hermione looked up and was surprised to find that she was no longer in Grimmauld Place but sitting by the Black Lake on Hogwarts grounds. Looking around she noticed three boys and a girl walking towards her looking concerned.

The boy that looked strangely like Harry and the red haired girl were holding hands. She looked at the other boys and noticed they looked suspiciously like a younger Sirius and Remus.

'_Oh my word! I seem to have traveled back in time! Those are Harry's parents and Remus and Sirius!'_

Hermione covered herself with her arms as best as she could and cowered in fear as the four approached her cautiously.

"Are you okay?" the boy she recognized as Sirius asked.

She flinched and cried harder when the three boys tried to come closer to her. She looked at them eyes wide with fear. The boys backed away concerned and confused. They looked at Lily silently asking her to try. She nodded and inched towards Hermione. The four breathed a sigh of relief when she visibly relaxed.

Lily sank down next to her and wrapped Sirius's cloak around her.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"No I-I, he, I-" she stuttered but cut off sobbing. Lily immediately wrapped her arms around the emotional girl.

"What happened?" she asked.

"He t-tried-d t-to r-r-rape m-m-me! He w-was s-su-supposed t-to b-b-be m-my be-st fri-end!" she wailed. "Th-en m-my friends pu-lle-d him o-off of me a-and ne-xt th-thing I-I kn-know I-I'm here!"

Lily gasped in shock and looked at the boys who looked positively livid. They may have just met the girl but they already felt protective of her, Sirius especially.

"Oh honey! Shhhh its okay. We're here for you. We're going to help you honey. Don't you worry." she soothed. "James, go get Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey."

James nodded his head and ran off towards the castle as fast as his legs would take him.

James returned ten minutes later with Professor Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey in tow. Madame Pomfrey gasped at the state Hermione was in and immediately started to work on her.

"What happened here?" Professor Dumbledore asked with sadness in his eyes.

Hermione turned to look at Lily with wide eyes silently begging her to tell him. Lily nodded her head sympathetically and turned to look back at the headmaster.

"She told us that one of her friends tried to rape her but her other friends pulled him off of her and she somehow ended up here though she's not sure why, Professor." Lily explained.

"Oh my," Dumbledore murmured worriedly. "Well, Miss…"

"Hermione Granger, sir." Hermione supplied timidly.

"Yes. Miss Granger. You may attend our school if you wish."

"If it's not any trouble, sir."

"No trouble at all, my dear girl. Now we will have to sort you," he replied kindly. "Accio Sorting Hat." He murmured and the hat flew into his open hand.

He placed the hat gently and carefully on her head.

'_Well, well what do we have here, Miss Granger? Ah, a time traveler. You have endured very much in your time, dear girl. Brave of you to trust people so soon. You are quite intelligent as well. Ravenclaw would suit you well but I can sense your bravery outweighs your smarts…GRYFFINDOR!"_

"Oh that's wonderful! We're going to be the best of friends!" Lily squealed excitedly.

"Don't scare her off already, Lils." James chuckled.

"It's okay," Hermione said quietly causing Lily to grin widely. "Um, sir? Could I maybe, possibly get some clothes?"

"Of course, of course, Miss Granger! Miss Evans, would you be so kind as to lend some clothing to Miss Granger until this Saturday when I will permit you to enter Hogsmeade to allow her to purchase her own supplies and clothing?"

"Professor, we will not allow them to go alone!" Sirius exclaimed.

"We have to go with them, sir!" James demanded with Remus nodding his head vigorously.

"Boys," Dumbledore laughed heartily. "I was going to ask you to accompany the ladies."

"Oh," Remus blushed lightly and chuckled nervously. "Well thank you, sir, we will."

"Very well. Now up to the common room for you." Dumbledore said.

"Yes, sir," the five students chimed.

"Mia, can you walk or would you like for one of the boys to carry you?" Lily asked standing and then helping Hermione up.

"I can walk." she assured.

The other students watched her cautiously as she walked a few steps. As she began to sway, Sirius immediately caught her and scooped her up into his strong arms bridal style.

"Well hello again, beautiful," he practically purred winking suggestively at her.

Hermione blushed brightly and she felt her heart give a little flutter. It seemed her love for Sirius did not go away with the apparent time travel, not that she had expected it to. She had had a crush on him since her third year. At the time she had thought it was a childish crush that would fade after a few weeks but as the months went by she fell more and more for him. It was before her fourth year that she was completely and irrevocably in love with him. The only person who knew was Ginny and she was very supportive of her.

"I bet you say that to all the witches, Mr…" Hermione said. Although it killed her to do so, she had to act like she didn't even know his name.

"Sirius, Sirius Black at your service, milady. The boy with the glasses is my best mate and Miss Lily's beau, James Potter and the other bloke is our other best mate, Remus Lupin." Sirius explained. He couldn't help but flirt with this beautiful witch who appeared to have popped out of nowhere. If he ever got his hands on the bloke who tried to rape her, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from killing him.

"Well, Mr. Black, it seems to me that you are a player and players are truly not my type." she giggled. It seemed like she couldn't help but be comfortable around these boys. She thought that she would never want another male to come near her again after what Ron tried to do to her but she felt strangely safe with Sirius, James and Remus. It felt good to be able to trust them.

"Oh no, love, I am most certainly anything but a player." he replied huffing indignantly causing Remus and James to laugh loudly and Lily and Hermione to giggle. "Well I'm not!" he pouted.

"You just keep telling yourself that, honey," she giggled patting his head in mock condolence.

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This first chapter is by NoahPuckermansWifey, the original author of this story. I've adopted it, so the first four chapters are not mine, and the others after that will be. I'm having to make up the rest of the plot.

**Anyway, this is different for a person who loves the original story, and is now in awe of the fact that they're adopting it.**

**Please review!**


	2. Memories and Nostalgia

**Chapter 2: Memories and Nostalgia**

Number 12 Grimmauld Place:

Harry, Sirius and Remus were pacing the floor worrying about Hermione. It had been four days since they last saw her after they caught Ron trying to rape her. They had been absolutely furious and dealt with him accordingly.

Sirius and Remus both stopped and snapped their heads up at the same time.

"Moony, I just recovered another memory!" Sirius said excitedly.

Ever since Hermione had gone missing, Remus and Sirius had been recovering their foggy memories from their seventh year in Hogwarts and on.

After they had their first memory flash of finding a girl by the Black Lake sobbing they realized that Hermione was that girl and that she had been sent back in time to their seventh year.

"Me too, Padfoot," Remus said breaking his reverie.

"Of the first time Mia met Lucius, Narcissa and Severus."

Harry was not surprised that his godfather had used the Malfoys' and Snape's first names. They had all informed Sirius and Remus when they remembered Hermione. They had people constantly flooing into Grimmauld Place telling them of their latest memories.

Understanding the circumstances, Dumbledore had excused Harry from school for two weeks.

What had freaked Harry out the most was that he was starting to lose his memories of his years at Hogwarts with Hermione slowly and getting new memories of his parents and Sirius, Remus, Hermione and a woman named Annie. The weirdest thing was that when he spoke of these occurrences to Remus and Sirius he was talking about "Aunt Mia and Aunt Annie" and calling them Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus. The three men were absolutely stumped as to why he was calling them that. It was like he was in a trance-like state when he would have these episodes, asking for his mum and dad and cousins and such.

They soon realized that with Hermione in their past, his parents would survive and that Sirius would marry Hermione and Remus would marry Annie.

The more memories they recalled, the more secure they felt of their future, or present in their case.

Everyone was restless to have their Mia back in their lives but no one was as anxious as Sirius was. He just wanted the love of his life back desperately.

He always knew there was something special about the brilliant little witch. She was not only the brightest witch he had ever met. Her intelligence topped that of Lily and McGonagall and they were the brightest witches of their respective time. She could master any spell on the first try and had even saved his life many times before.

She was also the most kind-hearted woman he had ever met. She always had her heart open for everyone and loved all her friends and family limitlessly. She had even forgiven _Draco Malfoy _who took it upon himself to mercilessly torment the sweet witch all throughout their years at Hogwarts.

Harry, Ron and the others saw it as foolishness and joked that she probably fancied the bloke but he knew better. She had confided in him that she had in fact briefly dated him secretly and he was actually quite kind to her in private as he always had been but they kept up a false rivalry and hatred for each other in public to save Draco from Voldemort's wrath and keep Hermione from getting killed.

He had been pleased to hear his younger cousin was actually kind to his witch and not the prat he thought he was but was in fact very jealous to hear he had dated her. She was meant to be his and his only.

"Uncle Sirius?" Harry asked carefully.

"Yes, Harry?" Sirius responded.

"When is Aunt Mia coming back do you think?"

"I'm not entirely sure, Harry, but I sure hope it is soon."

"You really miss her, don't you?"

"Harry, I don't know if I ever told you this but I fell in love with her, apparently all over again, when she was in this time. Now I'm remembering how I fell in love with her the first time and it hurts to only have my memories of her; to not have her here with me, with us. Harry, I'm even sure we had children."

"Everyone always said you were a player. They all thought…"

"That I was never going to settle down. I know, trust me I know. But she changed my ways; not intentionally mind you, she never asked me to change. She was just the only girl who didn't throw herself all over me aside from Annie and Lily and I liked it. I'll admit I fell in love with her the moment I saw her and that scared the life out of me to be honest, so I decided to just shag her and thought it would be over and done with. Her resistance had amazed me and I fell _even more _in love with her everyday, every time she rejected me. She challenged me in every way. The day I finally got her to go out with me was one of the best days of my life and let me tell you all the best days of my life started _after_ I met her."

"I remember that day." Remus sighed as he entered the library where Harry and Sirius had been talking.

"What happened?" Harry asked truly curious.

"Well, Sirius was truly desperate by this time because he was completely in love with Mia. He practically begged her to go out with him and promised her that if she had a bad time he would never ask her out again. She agreed and of course Prongs and I along with Annie and Lily made sure to help him make everything perfect. Although he surprisingly came up with the idea all on his own. She had a wonderful time and he told us she even confessed to him that she was afraid of getting her heart broken by him," Remus said.

"A few days after our first date I asked her to be my girlfriend and even gave her the ring that my favorite uncle gave to me. She got all emotional on me but the snog was amazing!" Sirius added. He had this dreamy look on his face that made Remus and Harry laugh loudly snapping him out of his daze. "Shut up, Moony," he scowled. "Don't act like you weren't crazy about Annie. All three of us were whipped, lovesick fools."

"You should have seen it Harry. We were so crazy about our girls that one look had us doing whatever it was that they wanted." Remus said nostalgically. "Remember the time they wanted to buy dresses for the Christmas Ball but they wanted them to be a secret from us until we saw them on the night of the ball. They convinced us to let them go shopping alone for a couple of hours when we went to Hogsmeade."

"How did they do that?" Harry asked. That set Sirius and Remus off laughing madly.

"Well, Annie said that she would never sleep with me again." Remus gasped out.

"Lily said she would never sleep with Prongs again and she would hex him." Sirius said still laughing.

"And Mia, well Mia was more straightforward about it all. She said and I quote 'Sirius Orion Black if you so much as think of following us so help me Merlin. I will never fuck you again _and _I will hex your balls straight off! Get it? Got it? Good.' Sirius just covered his groin protectively whimpering and nodded like crazy. And Mia just smiles sweetly, kisses him and continues sitting in his lap like she didn't just threaten to castrate him. It was the best one." Remus said.

"Hey, the witch threatened to hex my balls straight off. You would be afraid of your woman too if she did that." Sirius whined.

Harry and Remus just laughed and rolled their eyes. Sirius was one of the toughest and skilled wizards they knew and the one thing that scares him more than anything is his petite witch. Life was just so ironic sometimes.

"When are you going to go back to Hogwarts, Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Week after next actually. Part of me does not want to go because I want to know all the memories you guys have of Aunt Mia, Aunt Annie, Mum and Dad and I want you to know mine. But another part wants to go because I miss Ginny and Luna and everyone else, even Malfoy!" Harry sighed sadly.

Remus and Sirius exchanged pained looks. They hated to see their friends' son so upset and torn.

"Harry, it's going to be alright. We can write each other all the time. We can owl you whenever we get a new memory and you know you can do the same with us. Don't worry," Remus assured him.

Harry immediately brightened up. "Really?" he asked excitedly.

"Really, really." Sirius laughed at his godson.

"Thank you so much, guys!"

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NB: I changed one word in this, because at the start of chapter three the author confessed to saying 'Ron' where 'Luna' was supposed to be, in the sixth last paragraph. So I changed that, just for the heck of it.


	3. Fear and Unexpected Friendships

**Chapter 3: Fear and Unexpected Friendships**

"Come on, Mia, it'll be okay," Lily assured the terrified and shaking girl.

It had been four days since Hermione arrived and today was the first day of classes. She was afraid of being around anyone but Sirius, Remus, James, Lily and Annie.

"But you guys don't understand. What if someone tries to r-rape me again?" Hermione panicked.

"Mia, honey, we'll all be with you the whole time. You have at least one of us in each of your classes and you will also have at least one of us with you at all times." Annie said hugging the shaking girl and rubbing her back soothingly.

Annie was Remus' girlfriend and a very sweet girl. She had transferred from Beauxbatons at the end of the last term and was a very brilliant witch. Mia approved of her for Remus because it was obvious that she loved Remus irrevocably and unconditionally and didn't care about the fact that he was a werewolf.

"What's wrong, beautiful? You were just fine yesterday." Sirius asked as he draped an arm over her shoulders.

Hermione's heart beat so loud and fast she was sure everyone in the room could hear it and her stomach did little flips. She tried, unsuccessfully, to act like she was annoyed by it. A strategy she knew Lily used to use on James. Lily and Annie grinned when they saw Sirius' arm on their best friend but frowned at her annoyed face and posture. They looked at each other and both mentally decided to have a little girl chat with her later.

See, Hermione was in fact very much in love with Sirius but she knew she didn't really mean anything more than a friend to him. She was trying to protect her heart from being shattered by not allowing herself to become just another shag to him.

"I just," she sighed, "I can handle being around you guys comfortably but I do not think I can be near other people, especially…" she paused shutting her eyes and sighing again heavily. This was really the hardest part for her. She was always used to be strong and being the one that everyone else depended on and came to for advice. It killed her that she could not be herself ever since the incident…she was not even sure what it was about these people that made her feel so safe and secure.

"Mia, I am not going to lie to you and tell you that everything will be fine and perfect because hell we all know it won't be. I can guarantee you though that we will be here for you to help you through it all," Sirius said hugging her to him tenderly.

Hermione mentally swooned and melted on the spot but did not let it show on her face. What Sirius said was so sweet and heartfelt that almost let all her fears go and kissed him but she struggled to keep herself from doing just that. She settled for hugging him back and resting her head on his chest.

"Aw, Padfoot! Who knew you could be such a softie?" James cooed playfully teasing his friend.

In all reality James was extremely impressed with his friend. He knew Sirius fancied the little beautiful witch he had personally come to think of as a younger sister. He knew that the bloke just reckoned if he just shagged her then he could just forget about his deep feelings for her. James knew though that he cared for her far more than he would ever like to admit to himself let alone anyone else.

"He is just being a really, really good friend to me, James," she huffed indignantly.

Lily and Annie giggled girlishly at their friend's defense of the handsome wizard and the others looked at them like they had grown two heads each. They both thought that it was adorable how perfect Sirius and Hermione were for each other but they were also very frustrated about the fact that they were also so completely oblivious to the other's feelings.

Annie turned to Lily and mouthed 'are you thinking what I am thinking?' to which Lily nodded enthusiastically and mouthed 'we need to get those two clueless fools together and quickly.' They both nodded confidently and high fived each other victoriously.

"What are you two up to now?" Remus asked them wary of the answer. He knew when those two planned something it meant they were meddling and that was never good for anyone.

"Nothing," they replied innocently with a look that told their boyfriends not to push it because they would tell them their plan later.

"Alright, whatever. Well come on then let's get to breakfast so we can get to class people. We have Double Potions with the _Slytherins_," James said hissing the last word.

The six friends walked out of their common room and down to the Great Hall with Sirius' arm still draped over Hermione's shoulder. She brought her hand up to hold his hand that was on her shoulder when she saw people and notice they were looking at her.

He squeezed her hand in comfort and she squeezed his back and smiled up at him, the adoration clear in her eyes, letting him know silently how grateful she was that he was there for her. He noticed her shy smile and grinned brightly in response.

The rest of the group noticed how people started whispering like mad as they saw the interaction between Sirius and Hermione.

Remus also noticed that they did act like quite the couple though he knew it was unintentional at the moment. He thought that it was about time that Sirius got a real girlfriend. Sure he had had plenty of girls before but they were nothing and meant nothing more than a bloody shag. He knew, much like James, that Sirius already like Hermione, he could sense their deep love for each other with his wolf senses but he was confused as to why they denied it so vehemently. '_Oh well,' _he thought, _'they will come around soon enough and just admit that they are crazy about each other.'_

Sirius and Hermione were too busy staring into each others eyes to notice that Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Black and Severus Snape had stopped right in front of them to confront the six Gryffindors.

"What do you want?" James sneered snapping the clueless couple's attention back to the present reality. They turned to face the three in front of them and Hermione's body started to shake from fear.

"Well, well, who do we have here?" Lucius drawled in a way that only Malfoy's could. He turned to the trembling girl and smirked only successfully frightening her all the more. Sure she knew Lucius and Narcissa liked her in the future because of her extremely close friendship with Draco but she was not sure whether they had officially joined the Death Eaters yet or not by receiving the Dark Mark.

"Hello, Sirius," Narcissa greeting smiling warmly at her favorite cousin. "Lucius, darling, you really must stop that insufferable smirking. You are terrifying the poor girl."

Narcissa approached the Sirius and Hermione cautiously whilst still managing to keep a kind smile on her beautiful, pale face. "How are you, dear cousin?" she said kissing his cheek lightly and hugging him daintily.

"I have been well, thank you, Cissa. What about yourself, how have you been?" Sirius replied smiling his most brilliant smile he reserved for only the special women in his life.

"Wonderful, thank you for asking," she laughed. "Now would you be a dear and introduce us to this lovely young lady on your arm?"

"Oh, why yes. of course. Cissa this is Hermione Granger, Mia. this is my cousin Narcissa Black, her fiancé Malfoy and Snape," Sirius said making sure to sneer when he used Lucius and Severus' surnames.

"Those are your mane? Malfoy and Snape?" Hermione asked timidly. She tilted her head slightly to the side and furrowing her brow, feigning confusion.

It was silent for a few moments before Lily, Annie and Narcissa suddenly burst into a fit of giggles, startling Hermione.

"No dear girl, those are their surnames," Narcissa gasped out between giggles.

"Oh…well then what are their given names," she whispered fearing another round of giggles if she dared to speak any louder.

"Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape. These boys have a silly little grudge against each other," Narcissa explained rolling her eyes in annoyance at the men's ridiculous antics.

"Well that is just silly because 'it is not very healthy to hold grudges' is what my mum always told me when I was growing up. She used to say that holding a grudge could make someone mean and very unhappy. I think you five should just get over yourselves and your egos and apologize to each other for whatever it is that you are angry about. Otherwise you will just be grumpy old gits, living a long, lonely life only to die alone," Hermione said in one breath.

The eight other students stared at her with their mouths and eyes wide with shock. She was starting to become quite uncomfortable under their penetrating stares and started to back away slowly so as to not startle them, which made Sirius snap back to reality.

"That was the most you have said ever since the day we first met you…what was that, Mia?" Lily stuttered. If she was not so bloody freaked out, Hermione would have laughed at the looks on their faces.

"Well, I am not really sure but you guys are all my friends and I do not want my friends to be unhappy to be frank," she said softly playing with the hem of her shirt and staring at her shoes like they were the most interesting thing in the world at that specific moment.

"Friends?" Narcissa, Lucius and Severus asked at the same time.

"I would certainly hope so. I actually feel strangely safe with you guys and the only others I feel truly safe around are James, Lily, Remus, Annie and Sirius. I know you three would never try to…" she said trailing off at the end.

"Try to what?" Severus asked gently to the pleasant surprise of everyone but Hermione.

"R-r-ra-rape me," she finished ashamed. The others would not have heard her had they not been in such close proximity to one another.

"W-w-what," Lucius gasped incredulously. "Why in the world would you even think that?"

Sirius looked down at Hermione sadly who was now sobbing with her face buried in his chest and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Mia," he whispered to her. She nodded her head and he looked back up at the three flabbergasted Slytherins.

"A _boy _she thought that she could trust and was supposed to be one of her best mates tried to rape her and she does not exactly trust men very much anymore. It is rare that she actually does and she now trusts you lot as well and that is a pretty big deal," Sirius explained thinking of all the different ways he was going to torture and then kill the bloody bloke who did this to her as soon as he saw him.

"What is his name?" Severus hissed venomously. The others looked at him in shock, for they had no idea that he actually cared. "What are you lot staring at? Mia here is my friend and no one no matter who they bloody well are hurts my friends and gets away with it." He glared at Sirius the entire time he said that as if conveying through eye contact that he would not even live to see his next birthday if he ever even tried to think about hurting her.

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Okay! One more chapter after this, and then you'll get the chapters that I've written. I hope you don't mind the way the plot goes.

**Please review!**


	4. Depression, Anger, & an Annoying Dumbles

**Chapter 4: Depression, Anger and an Annoying Dumbledore**

Number 12 Grimmauld Place 1999:

_'Life without my Mia is so tedious,' _Sirius thought sighing sadly.

He was currently sitting in the library, which happened to be Hermione's favorite place in his – well, actually, their home – in her favorite oversized armchair right in front of the fireplace. The fire had been blazing ever since he first entered the room, but he still felt cold without her warm presence in the room.

Now that he was clearing up his formerly foggy memory, he wondered how he did not make the connection sooner. How did he not realize that Hermione was in fact his Mia? When he thought about it he knew that there had always been something familiar about her which was probably the reason they got on so well together. He felt so guilty for not remembering his own bloody wife but his memory had been so hazy after his Mia had disappeared so suddenly and mysteriously all those years ago. He remembered being in an extreme state of depression because his wife had just disappeared right in front of his eyes right after they found out that James, Lily and Annie had all been murdered.

They had been Harry's godparents, therefore he would be in their care. He recalled that they were actually discussing the child's misfortune on losing _both_ his parents and one of his aunts on the same night, in the same way, by the hand of the same man. She had disappeared with a sudden _**pop **_midsentence that at first he had actually thought that she had apparated away but then he realized that she would never just apparate away without warning; especially not during a conversation.

He was so broken when she was still missing two weeks later that he did not even fight it when they arrested him and threw him into Azkaban.

Meanwhile, some of the Order of the Phoenix members were currently sitting in the kitchen, talking, whilst Molly Weasley was bustling about cooking dinner for the lot of them. She was attempting to make all of Sirius' favorite foods to try and coax him into coming downstairs. She was not having much luck because the only person whose cooking Sirius wholeheartedly enjoyed was Hermione's which made sense now that they knew who she truly was.

"Poor Sirius," Narcissa sighed sadly, "he misses his Mia so much." She felt so bad for her cousin, his memories of his wife were torturing him horribly so.

"We all miss her dearly, Cissy," Lucius said rubbing his wife's back trying his best to comfort her.

"That may be true, Lucius, but she was his wife. Their love was the most powerful any of us have ever had the privilege to witness," Remus said. He missed his Annie as well and he loved her more than anything else in the world but Sirius had never really had a real family before until he had found and married Mia. Losing her had and their three children had been the worst day of his life and still was. He knew that the Dementors did not really get much out of him when he was imprisoned in Azkaban all those years because he had lost all hope by the time they came for him.

They had all learned after the first day to give Sirius some time to himself every day during the day. They respected the fact that he took the time to try and remember more and think about Mia during his time in the library.

"I really hope she reappears and soon at that," Molly said, worriedly pursing her lips as she bustled about the kitchen hurrying to prepare the meal before some of the other former Order members arrived.

"She will, Molly, don't you worry about that; as soon as she prevents James, Lily and my wife Annie from dying and securing their safety from Voldemort. That was the trigger that made her disappear." Remus said trying to maintain some semblance of hope.

"She was quite adamant on saving them actually," Lucius explained. "She told me once when she was on her way to speak to Albus that it was a good idea to move James and Lily and change their secret keeper. She said that she was certain that Peter being the secret keeper would end in their deaths and I unknowingly confirmed that for her when I told her that Peter was in fact a Death Eater. She was not surprised at all to hear this bit of information, which was a little suspicious to me at the time but I just simply brushed it off because I trusted Mia completely and I still do."

"She _knew_ you were a Death Eater and she was still let herself become friends with the lot of you," Molly gasped in fear.

"Molly," Lucius replied warily, "it was Mia's idea for me to join the Death Eaters as a spy for the Order from the beginning. I had been spying on them since my seventh year at Hogwarts, right after we became close with Mia."

"She was the reason we turned to the light side," Narcissa said sadly. "She always has been a wonderful person; even when she was my son's best friend. She used to spend a good chunk of her summer holidays with us you know."

"How is that even possible? Didn't Voldemort get angry that you had a Muggleborn witch in your manor?" Remus asked, concerned and annoyed at how easily she put herself into danger; it was such a Mia thing to do. The girl never had any sense of self preservation, in his past and in the present.

"No, far from it in all actuality. He was under the ludicrous impression that we only kept her there as a prisoner," Severus Snape said as he entered the room, looking more concerned than menacing and annoyed with his close friend. He missed the little know-it-all witch far more than he would ever actually care to admit to anyone at all, excluding himself of course. Mia had been the little sister he had never had and he admittedly didn't even realize that he had needed one so desperately until he met her.

He knew he had always been shamefully indifferent to Hermione Granger when she was his student because she always reminded him of someone very dear to his heart from his past that he just could not seem to remember. His memories were always infuriatingly foggy whenever he would even try to remember exactly who it was that she resembled so greatly in personality and looks.

Now that he was clearing up those damn foggy memories he felt terrible about how he treated her all those years, especially since he knew she was constantly defending him to the other students. When he thought about it, he realized that all the little Gryffindor girl was trying so desperately to do was gain his approval by doing so well in his class.

"You feel just horrid don't you, Severus?" Narcissa asked quietly.

When Mia had disappeared, Narcissa was perhaps the most heartbroken, besides Sirius, for losing her cousin-in-law and best friend; Mia was like her sister in so many ways that Bellatrix was not and Andromeda could not be. She was so devastated that she barely spoke to anyone, she only ever said anything when someone asked her a question which she answered with one word sentences and shrugs, nods or shakes of her head.

"Very much so, Cissa," Severus answered just as quietly, his voice making his guilt evident to the others in the room, "I have treated my own little sister with such cold indifference that I feel like a bloody git."

"None of us knew, Severus. How were you supposed to know she was from our past?" Sirius said, effectively making everyone jump because they did not realize that he was even in the room. He would have laughed at their simultaneous reactions if he was not so depressed and missing his wife. "She's my bloody wife and I couldn't even bloody remember her. Let's not forget the fact that I forgot that I had children as well. Bloody children, for Merlin's sake, two boys and one little girl!"

"Padfoot, please don't do this to yourself, mate," Remus pleaded with his best friend, making room for him between himself and Harry, who had been surprisingly quiet for the duration of the entire conversation. "It's like you said, none of us knew so not expected you to remember; especially not after all that time you spent in Azkaban. But you know what, I know it will all turn out perfectly, I swear to you that our girl will not let us down."

"How do you figure that, Moony?" Sirius sighed, folding his arms on the table and resting his forehead on them, effectively hiding his face and tears from the others. The only person who realized that he was crying was Remus, with the help of his extra sensitive wolf ears and nose he could smell the salty tears and hear his silent sobs. Sirius' exterior demeanor showed no signs of his crying and that's exactly the way he liked it.

"The two of you are soul mates, that's how," Remus replied as gently as he could. He knew his best friend's heart was extremely fragile at the moment to the point where anything could set him off and he was not about to be the jerk who made him break down; he was pretty much the only person keeping him sane at the moment and he was going to keep him that way, even if it was the last thing he did. "I mean if you really think about it, you'll realize how true that is. You even fell in love with her all over again in this time, mate."

"You did?" Lucius, Narcissa, Severus and Molly asked, their shock evident in their voices and expressions.

"Yeah," Sirius sighed heavily once again.

"Oh, Sirius," Molly clucked sadly, sounding much like the mother hen that she always was, "you poor thing. How terrible that must have been for you, dear."

"You know, Draco feels absolutely dreadful and disgusted with himself, Uncle Sirius," Harry commented quietly.

"Why would he feel disgusted with himself," Lucius said, "he is most definitely not the reason that she is gone."

"He knows that and I know that as well, but he told me that he feels disgusted because dated Aunt Mia, not that there is anything wrong with her at all mind you, but he's just clearing his memories too and to remember that she was his aunt, one of his parents' dearest friends and his second cousin's wife is not exactly comforting. You know how Draco can be, Uncle Lucius," Harry answered just as solemnly as before.

"Oh, my poor baby," Narcissa cried softly.

Lucius rubbed her back gently, trying desperately to comfort his distressed wife. He really hoped that this did not affect his son too badly.

"Albus is here," Molly called as she reentered the kitchen with Albus Dumbledore in tow, trying to lift the tense and depressed mood of the house.

"Hello everyone," Albus said with that ridiculously inappropriate twinkle in his bright blue eyes.

_'What the bloody hell does he have to be so bloody twinkly about,' _Sirius thought angrily. _'We have a missing girl here, who was in fact sent back to the Hogwarts of my time. Not to mention the fact that she is my long lost wife who we have heard nothing of for the past eighteen years and he has the nerve to sit his old, wrinkly ass here and be all bloody twinkly like nothing is bloody wrong.'_

"Albus, are you always so bloody twinkly?" Severus asked, voicing the question that was burning on the minds of all the occupants of the kitchen. "Even when we have a young girl bloody missing?"

"Well, Severus," Albus started with a chuckle that only angered the others even more, "why be so pessimistic when you know everything is going to be just fine?"

"We don't all bloody have the bloody privilege of knowing every bloody little thing, _Albus_," Sirius growled, seething both inside and out.

That man was so bloody infuriating to Sirius at times that he could not stand it. He usually looked up to the Headmaster but this was just too bloody much! His precious wife was gone and he was just now remembering being married to her in the first place. Couldn't Dumbledore see how hard this was for him and his friends as well?

"Now, now, Mr. Black," Dumbledore said in an unnaturally calm voice, "you really need to calm down. There is no need to be this upset and angry. I assure you that Miss Granger is and will be just fine."

"_Black_," Sirius hissed angrily.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Her name is Hermione _Black_, I do not care if we are not married yet in the past; we are now, so you will use her _proper_ surname," Sirius replied before he stormed out of the room, slamming every door on his way to the library.

"Albus," Lucius sighed in frustration, "you need to stop antagonizing him. He feels terrible enough already for not remembering anything about Hermione and their marriage and children. We all realize that you are just simply trying to assure him but he cannot take you seriously if you continue to act as if nothing can go wrong."

"Honestly," Severus added in agreement with Lucius, "how would you feel if Minerva suddenly disappeared out of nowhere?"

"Most likely frantic, but that is a completely different matter," Albus said with a nonchalant wave of his hand, as if dismissing the idea completely.

"Is it really, Albus, or is it exactly the same? Mia is his wife, just like Minerva is yours and Annie is mine. Think about it, Albus, and put yourself in our shoes," Remus said as he stalked out of the room to find his best friend.

**

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Okay, NoahPuckermansWifey originally had the next chapter set two and a half months after Hermione arrived in the past, and that the girls have been trying to set Severus up with someone, even though all attempts have so far been unsuccessful. This is where I'm taking over. I don't know how well I'll stick to that, nor to the voice of the first four chapters, but I'll do my best.

**Clearly, chapters set in the past and set in the future alternate. Hermione is Mia, Narcissa is Cissa, Albus and Minerva are married, Remus has a girlfriend, Peter hasn't shown up yet, Hermione and Sirius have three children, and foggy memories abound. I've got an idea about how/why Hermione traveled back in time, and from one place to another. As to the rest… well, we'll figure that out as we go along, shan't we?**

**Suggestions are welcomed with open paws!**


	5. Blind Dates and Pranks

"Blind Dates and Pranks"

**A/N: The format and voice will now change, though I'll try to keep everything else the same. NoahPuckermansWifey and LoveIt123 are responsible for the ideas in this chapter, but I'm responsible – sigh – for the execution. I've never had to play a real prank, and certainly not a magical one, so forgive me if you've read better pranks on the back of a Bible.**

**CeliaEquus now taking over!**

The group of friends sat by the lake, Severus in the centre of the group. He glared at each laugh from the boys.

"Told you to shut up," he muttered, staring out across the water. "This is your fault, Mia. Two and a half months after meeting you and you're already playing match-maker. _And_ getting the others to help."

"I'm sorry, Sev," Hermione said, moving forward on her knees. She plonked onto her behind beside him and slung one arm around his shoulders. "You know we just love you, and want to make you happy."

"That won't happen," he said, hanging his head. "Look at me."

"Hmm." She glanced over at her girl friends. "Maybe we should do something before we unleash him on any more blind dates."

"Like what?" Narcissa asked.

"Poor Sev doesn't have enough confidence in himself," she said. Her gaze drifted over to Sirius (her heart leapt), Remus, Lucius and James. Then she looked over at Annie, Narcissa and Lily. "I'll be back, sweetie," she added, and she kissed Severus on the forehead. Then she returned to her friends.

"You've got your planning face on," Lily said, trying her best not to grin. "What've you thought of, Mia?"

"Simple," she said. "A way to get the boys off his case, and a way to make Severus feel better about himself."

"A makeover?" Annie suggested, looking past Hermione. "I mean, that hair for one thing…"

"And new robes," Narcissa added.

"Confidence makes all the difference," Hermione argued. "Just as long as he doesn't get over-confident." Like Ron, she thought, her mind flicking back to the betrayal. She'd managed to forget it well the last several weeks, but occasionally she thought about it. She was coming to terms with it as time went on, but she was far from being able to forgive him… assuming they ever met again.

"So how do we make him more confident? I was thinking that we could set him up with Sybill from Hufflepuff," Lily said. Hermione shuddered, thinking about her experiences with Professor Trelawney in the future.

"No," she said. "Just follow my example." She beckoned to Severus, who reluctantly shuffled over to them.

"What's your plan?" he asked tiredly. "I'll hate it anyway, so you may as well get it over with."

"You'll like this one," Hermione said, smirking. "Trust me." Keeping her wand handy, she pulled him forward. She shocked the hell out of everyone when she placed her lips on his. It took a bit of prodding, but eventually he parted his lips and began to kiss her back.

"Oi!" Sirius shouted, struggling to his feet. He got caught up in his robes and nearly fell over. "Get off my girlfriend!"

Hermione finally pushed Severus back and took in his bright red face.

"Yes, he's definitely too shy," she said. "Cissa? What do you think about his technique?" Narcissa's smile widened as she recognised the plan.

"Let's see," she said, and she pulled Severus into a kiss. He was still understandably nervous, but was too well-mannered not to reciprocate. Then she pulled back, and handed him to Lily. After Lily, Annie kissed him. By the time he was sitting back on his heels, he was Gryffindor-red from the tip of his nose to his ears and down his neck. His lips were also getting chapped, and he rubbed at them.

"And what was all that in aid of?" he asked.

"Well, that was an unexpected development," Hermione murmured, and they all looked up to see that a bunch of girls were now staring at Severus.

He _had_ just been kissed by four of the most popular girls in school, let's be honest.

"Bloody hell!" he exclaimed. "What've you done now?" The blood in his face drained rapidly when he saw the stormy expressions of the boyfriends of these girls who had just been kissing him. "You couldn't have at least waited until we were somewhere more private?"

"Calm down," Annie said, stroking his arm. "You've got lots of potential in the kissing department, Sev. But," she frowned at the other girls, "I'm determined to do a makeover on you first."

"As long as your boyfriends don't do a makeover on me," Severus said, shrinking back as the four boys walked over to them. "I don't think they'd have any problem with rearranging my face at the moment."

"Why the hell, Hermione?" Sirius burst out.

"Serves you right for laughing at him," she said, sticking her chin in the air. "Siri, you really must learn not to displease me. That goes for the rest of you," she added, glaring at the other boys. "We're just trying to help Sev, and you're being all kinds of unsupportive."

"Just because we've got the best-looking birds in Hogwarts doesn't mean that you have to try and pair him with all the duds," he replied.

"They're not duds! You're just prejudiced against other houses."

"Look, why don't you let _us_ try to find someone for him," James said. "So he won't have to keep kissing _our_ girls." He scowled at Severus, who gulped.

"They kissed me first, you know," he said.

"James, are you seriously pulling the gender card?" Lily asked, standing and placing her fists on her hips. "Is this a case of you saying that, being male, you know better? That is _completely_ sexist, you git!"

"Not like that!" he said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Lils, I just mean that we know what Severus would like from a boy's point-of-view."

"And we know what a girl is looking for," Annie said.

"I would think," Narcissa said, joining the ranks, "that considering your previous low level of success with girls, you would not inflict your 'advice' on someone unexperienced." She placed a supportive hand on Severus' shoulder. "I'm only engaged to Lucius because it's an arranged marriage."

No one was prepared for the look of hurt on the Slytherin's face. His face fell, and he bowed his head.

"I know," he whispered. "I would not feel confident in giving Severus advice."

Narcissa frowned in confusion as she looked at her fiancé. But Hermione was busy thinking.

"Well, you can at least show him how to look after his hair properly," she said, lifting a clump of greasy strands. "You certainly know what you're doing."

"Yes, I do," Lucius said. He was looking up again, but his voice was quieter and soberer than usual. Now his expression wasn't even cold – it was just blank. "I can assist him with that, and with dressing properly."

"I… I can't afford new robes," Severus whispered, keeping his eyes on the ground. "I guess I could try and cast some spells on my existing clothes, but some things just can't be fixed with magic."

"Then we'll buy you some new things," Remus said. They looked at him in surprise. After all, he was almost as poor as Severus. "Well, we can at least pool our money and get him _something_ new, or even second-hand."

"Don't be ridiculous," Lucius scoffed. "I will buy whatever he needs. It is my duty as a fellow Slytherin and as an old friend."

"I cannot accept that," Severus said, his face closing off. Lily bit her lip, and threw her arms around his neck.

"Don't be like that, Sev," she said, pouting. He turned his head away. "We're just trying to help."

"Maybe I would prefer to bide my time?" he asked. "There may be someone for me outside of Hogwarts, if you would only wait. There is no rush. As I said before, look at me." He spread his arms. "Once I have a job then I can start earning money, and will no longer need," he sneered, "charity."

"It's not charity, you git," Hermione said, smacking his arm. "Now, we need to help you with your flirting and kissing techniques, don't we, girls?" she asked. They nodded, giving their boyfriends dirty looks. Well, Narcissa actually just looked concerned about Lucius.

"Hey, don't think we've forgotten that little display earlier," Sirius said, stepping forward to Hermione. "There will be repercussions, Granger."

"Bring it on, Black," she said, smirking as she looked him up and down.

"This is war," he said. "Come on, lads. We've got some plotting to do."

"If you will excuse me," Lucius said, "I have homework that requires completion." Without even saying goodbye, he left them behind.

"Why's he acting so strangely?" Annie asked, watching him fade into the distance.

"I don't know," Narcissa said.

"Probably just in a mood," James said, waving a hand dismissively. "Let the prank war begin!" The girls looked at each other, and then back at the Marauders.

"Let it begin," Lily agreed.

Severus looked at all of them, and decided to keep right out of it.

**

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**

Bit of unexpected drama there.

**Sorry it's taken so long! Now that "Purity" is finished (hurrah!) and I've almost finished posting "A Friendlier Past", there's just this one and a whole bunch of oneshots and challenge fics.**

**(Just?)**

**Please review, and include any suggestions that you may have for pranks!**


	6. Missing Loves and A Peek

"Missing Loves and A Peek"

Severus kicked his foot where he sat in his quarters. It was always good to catch up with someone, no matter how much he pretended not to enjoy himself. However, remembering Hermione was painful, especially as he never got to say goodbye to her.

"I should have followed her advice," he murmured, looking around his lonely rooms. He was the only one out of them – apart from Pettigrew – who never married. There was only one person he wanted, and she…

He wiped a hand down his face. Yet another memory hit him.

"_I'm sorry you got caught up in this, Sev," Hermione said, helping him remove the rest of the purple ribbons from his now-blonde hair._

"_It doesn't matter," he said, his expression glum. "I suppose this is all worth it just to have friends."_

"_Severus? Is something the matter?"_

"…_No."_

"_Yes, there is. Something's wrong." She sat in front of him and studied his face. "We can call off the prank war. It's gone on for long enough. You'd think they would have stopped after we 'decorated' their dormitories, but then they had to go and do something in Transfiguration, which got us _all_ in trouble with Professor McGonagall, and then with Professor D…"_

"_I like someone," he whispered. She stopped talking._

"_You do?" He nodded. "Then why did you let us set you up with all those girls? Wait, is it one of them?"_

"_No," he said. "I was hoping that you'd get to the right one eventually, so that I wouldn't have to ask her out myself. She wouldn't be able to reject me if it was a blind date, and then maybe I could have asked her to… I don't know. Go out again."_

"_Who is it?" she asked, leaning forward, her eyes alight. "C'mon, Sev. You can tell me anything, remember? We're friends."_

"_I… do not wish to say," he said, straightening up. "You can stop your match-making. It will never happen, anyway. I would rather concentrate on my studies."_

"_Severus, you have to say something to her," Hermione said. "Whoever she is. You'll never forgive yourself if you don't do anything."_

"_I will survive," he said dryly, and he stood up. "Thank you for helping me, Mia."_

"_Please tell her. Or at least tell me who she is…"_

"_Leave it, Mia," he said, his voice hard. "I must complete my homework now."_

_And then he left._

Whenever she had the opportunity after that she would try to convince him to ask out the girl he had a crush on. Even after all these years he never spoke to her. It was too painful to contemplate everything that might have been. In that way teaching was horrible because he saw what he could have had – children. He was past that now, and there would never be another like… like _her_.

But Hogwarts was the only place in Britain where he could live and work where she couldn't find him.

* * *

The air was getting frostier. Sirius stared out, one of his hands pressed to the glass of the attic window. Buckbeak snorted in his sleep, and the Animagus looked down at the dozing hippogriff. How did he cope without a mate?

"Much the same as me," he said, and he sighed. "And Moony. Lucius and Narcissa are lucky. Come to that, so are James and Lily, wherever… wherever they are."

He pushed away from the window, and jumped when he saw Harry at the door.

"You okay, Sirius?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Harry."

"I can't believe Dumbledore," he said, and he shook his head. "I don't know what's wrong with him. He used to be so caring."

"Albus Dumbledore has his eye on one goal, and that's defeating Voldemort," Sirius told him. There was a hint of bitterness in his tone. "Probably trying to reclaim some of the glory for beating Grindelwald, even if he'll only be getting that through you. Bet you didn't know that he and McGonagall were married."

"I was kind of surprised," Harry admitted. Sirius joined him at the door.

"How does it feel to know that your best friend was – _is_ – your godmother?"

"I'm confused," he said. "How come I keep getting these memories of my parents and… well, everyone, and no one else is?"

"I dunno, kid. Maybe it's because we have more memories of her."

"Remus was telling us that you were all trying to get Professor Snape a girlfriend," he said as they walked down the stairs. "It didn't work?"

"Clearly," he said. "Hermione made the other girls call a surrender after their last prank, which involved turning all of us into frogs until our least favourite teachers kissed us. That was _not_ funny," he added as Harry chortled. "Watch it, Harry. I remember how to cast that spell. Do you really want Severus to kiss you?"

"Actually, he isn't my least favourite teacher anymore," Harry said. "So, did you stop match-making?"

"D'you mean did the girls stop setting him up with people? Yes," Sirius replied. "They did. Hermione never explained why, but she told them to let him find someone in his own time. Then, of course, we had to concentrate on our schoolwork."

"I should probably do that as well. `Night, Sirius."

"Good night, Harry."

"Hey, Sirius?"

"Yes?"

"Where was Pettigrew when all this was going on?"

Sirius sighed. "He wasn't at school for part of the year because he was sick. Then he got back to school and he'd changed. Can we talk about this some other time?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

* * *

The next day some of the Aurors in the Order of the Phoenix got together to discuss the almost-rape.

"He's still saying that he didn't do anything wrong," Tonks said, holding Kingsley's hand under the table. "He reckons that Hermione was just playing hard to get."

"The old tale of thinking that she doesn't mean 'no' when she says 'no'?" Moody asked. She nodded.

"Probably thought it was some kind of role-play, but I dunno where he'd get that from," she said. "What did Arthur and Molly say?"

"Arthur was disgusted and Molly went into shock," Kingsley said. "They're still trying to work out where they went wrong."

"It's not their fault," Tonks said. "Look at the rest of their kids. Nothing wrong with them."

"Look, much as I respect Granger we need to concentrate on the bigger picture," Moody told them. "Unless Voldemort's somehow connected to it, we'll just have to leave this until the war's over."

"Dedalus Diggle found this at the Ministry," Kingsley said, throwing a file onto the table. "You'll want to take a look at it."

"`Bout Voldemort?"

"Yes."

Tonks peered over Moody's shoulder, and gasped as she read it.

"I thought it was just a rumour," she said.

"It was more than a rumour in our time, but we could never get any proof," Moody said. His magical eye continued to take in the information while his good eye stared at Kingsley. "Where did he get this?"

"You know that trunk no one's been able to get into before?"

"In the DoM? Yeah."

"A key was sent to the department late last night. There was no note; just the key and a drawing of the trunk. This file was the only thing in there, but there's some kind of time-spell on it, so we think that something's going to appear there sometime, but we don't know when."

"Two of `em," Tonks said, shaking her head as she stared at the fuzzy photographs. "Who'd've thought it?"

* * *

There was laughter. Hermione turned around and smiled at the sight of the children playing. The three Black children – the twin boys Trevor and John and the girl Anne – were competing against Remus and Annie's son Bill. He was being helped by Harry's younger brother Charles. His sister Katie was snoozing between her parents on the couch.

It was a nice castle they lived in. Hermione had had to take them into hiding, and it had nearly killed all of them to leave behind… well, everyone. But, for the sake of the wizarding world, that sacrifice had to be made.

"Did you send him another 'memory'?" Lily whispered. She and James each had a hand resting on her large baby bump.

"Yes."

"We really didn't plan to get pregnant again…"

"I know. Do you think I had planned to get pregnant at all – either time? The situation was just so complicated, but Sirius looked so hopeful, and happy, and I… I…" She drew in a shaky breath and looked back out the window. "We'll get back to them. But I wish Annie wouldn't do so much gardening. It worries me, especially with her failing health."

"Comes from being the mate of a werewolf," Lily said, shrugging. "She's pining for him, of course, even though she doesn't have the 'disease'. There's nothing else you could have done. At least you've kept us alive for our family and friends."

"That doesn't stop it from hurting," Hermione murmured. "But I've sent the key to the Ministry. Will they work it all out, I wonder?"

"What memory did you make this time?"

There was a pause.

"The memory of Charles' birth."

"You _what_?"

"We knew that I'd have to step up the false memories when the time was close at hand," she snapped. "His third sibling is overdue, and so are we."

"Mum? Are you all right?" John asked.

"Fine, sweetie," she said, trying to calm down. "Just don't spend all afternoon playing chess, okay? You have homework to do."

"When can we go to Hogwarts?" Bill asked.

"Soon." She looked out the window again. "Very soon."

**

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**

Okay, most of this is going to be me now. I've had some notes from NoahPuckermansWifey, but I'll be calling more of the shots, especially as we're going along. I've had some smashing ideas. Let's hope you'll agree with them.

**Please review!**

**I've had to edit this twice because I got the kids' genders wrong, and then forgot to change one of their names. Sorry!**


	7. Some Fixing, an Arrival and a Door

"Some Fixing, an Arrival and a Door"

Lucius had remained in a funk for some time. Sick of it, Narcissa had confronted him while the others were around, having made sure that they wouldn't let him escape. He seemed to enjoy avoiding her these days.

"I hope I won't have to put up with this when we're married," she said jokingly. The look she received in return was scathing.

"Of course not," he said. "I will be working and you will be raising a child. No time for anything else."

"Lucius," she whispered, hurt, "tell me what's wrong. Please? If you won't say it in front of the others, at least say it to _me_. It's not that long until we finish school; not really. Then we'll be married soon after that."

"And I am _so_ looking forward to it," he said, and he turned away. "Does that answer your question?"

Narcissa was fighting back tears; they could all see it. Sirius glared at Lucius coldly.

"Don't talk to Cissy like that," he said, clenching his fists. "What's she done to deserve it?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me!"

"Leave it, Sirius," Narcissa said. She took a step closer to Lucius. "I thought…" she touched his shoulder, but he shrugged her away, "I thought that we were getting on really well. I… I thought that we liked each other."

"So. Did. I," he said, his teeth gritted.

"But… n-not anymore?"

Years later they would laugh about it; but, at this moment, there was a high tension in the air and they all felt it.

"Clearly," Lucius replied. An unavoidable sob left Narcissa's mouth, but she tried to muffle it with her hands. Hermione, Annie and Lily all moved forward to comfort her, but Lucius had whirled around, frowning in confusion.

"Leave her," Sirius growled, but he was duly ignored.

"Why are you crying?" Lucius asked. Narcissa shook her head, and then turned to leave; but he grabbed onto her wrists and wrenched them away from her face. He watched the tears fall from her closed eyes in dismay.

"No r-reason," she said, lying pathetically.

"Why should _you_ be upset?" he said.

"Why do you _think_?" she asked furiously, scowling up at him. She looked momentarily taken aback by his close proximity, but her pureblood instincts kicked in, and she schooled her expression accordingly. "What does it matter to you?"

"Because I'm your fiancé, and I lo… care ab… need to look after you," he said, finishing quickly.

"But you _don't_ care about me. You've just said that."

"When?" he asked.

"When you said that 'clearly' you don't like me anymore." She went to wipe away her tears, but Lucius did it for her.

"Cissa, did you think that that's what I meant?"

"W-what else could you mean?"

"I… I believed that you didn't care about me," he whispered. "You were the one who said that you were only marrying me because it was arranged."

The gears whirred in Narcissa's mind for a minute, but then she realised what he was referring to.

"That… I didn't mean it! I was just being all light-hearted; we all were. And I… I thought that was why you were marrying me."

"Well, of course it is," he said, and he pulled her close. "But there are many betrothed couples who never spend any time with each other before the wedding, let alone after it. Your sister and her husband know barely each other because they never studied together, or walked together, or even _talked_ together when they attended Hogwarts. _We do_, Narcissa. There are no pureblood laws saying that we have to be together as often as we are; yet we are virtually inseparable." He smiled gently, drying the rest of her tears. "Did you never think why?"

"I hung out with you because I like you," she said, looking at the floor. He tilted her chin up.

"Just 'like'?"

"Well… not _just_ 'like'." Lucius smirked triumphantly.

"In other words," James said, staring at them, "you've been behaving like this because of a misunderstanding?"

"Yes."

"And everything's good now?"

"Yes," Narcissa said, beaming up at her fiancé.

"Not quite," Lucius said. The smile faded. He knelt before her, and all the girls gasped. "Because I want _you_, not because I am following some old tradition, I must ask you this question: Cissa, will you marry me?"

Nodding dumbly, Narcissa fell to her knees in front of him, and they embraced. The corridor was filled with the cheers of their friends.

* * *

A few days after Lucius' proposal, Peter Pettigrew arrived back at Hogwarts. He was still looking worn down from his illness, and had to make weekly visits to Madame Pomfrey, but he was welcomed back by his friends.

All except Hermione, who had to act the scared almost-rape victim at the prospect of someone new. This bought her enough time to develop a fake friendliness towards Peter, a friendliness which never quite reached her eyes. She hated that she couldn't change the past, couldn't even try to correct his path in life so that Harry would still have parents; but she knew what had happened that night. It was one of the first things she had read about when she got her school books.

One day, the last one she spent avoiding Pettigrew, she was staring out a window down towards Hagrid's hut. She remembered that day in her third year clearly, the first time she had been in an adventure without Ron. That had been a good adventure. She'd felt so daring! Well, until they had to fly on Buckbeak's back. That hadn't been so good.

They had saved Sirius…

She shook herself. It had all been for nothing in the end. Absolutely nothing…

_But it doesn't have to be_, a sly little voice told her.

_Yes, it does_, she insisted. She stared out over the grounds, trying to ignore the nagging voice.

_You could save them all, if you just tried._

_No!_

And yet… the voice didn't sound so bad.

But it couldn't be risked. It was all right when they saved Sirius and Buckbeak; nothing had actually changed in appearance, not to an outside eye, almost as if it had happened all along. The only way she could do something like that would involve lots of Doppelgangers, tons of behind-the-scenes spellwork, somewhere to hide out, complicated – possibly dark – magic…

"It isn't as though it couldn't be done," she whispered slowly, her eyes widening. She would need a lot of help, but when she thought about it she could have that help! She had a Time-Turner, didn't she? And if she could somehow duplicate the Invisibility Cloak… and perhaps use the Protean Charm again…

"I wish you had all the answers, Hogwarts," Hermione said, patting the windowsill. Then she heard Sirius calling for her, and sighed.

Before she could leave, however, she heard a scraping sound. Turning slowly, she gaped as the stonework moved, fluctuating hypnotically, until an entrance had formed. She glimpsed a library inside, but had to turn away as she heard footsteps nearing.

"Hermione?" Sirius shouted again.

"Um… here!" she replied. The doorway shut with a bang, and she jumped.

"Thank Merlin you're okay," he said, rounding the corner that instant.

"Did… did you hear that?" Hermione asked.

"Hear what?"

"That bang."

"There was a bang?" He looked puzzled, and she shook her head.

"Never mind. I must be hearing things."

"First sign of madness, you know," he said, slinging his arm around her shoulders. She wrapped an arm around his waist and he pulled her into a comforting embrace.

"Actually, talking to yourself is the first sign of madness."

"I'm sorry, were you speaking to me?" he asked. She made a face and smacked him on the stomach. "Oi!"

"Serves you right, you git."

"Anyway, are you going to speak to Peter now? He's been worried that you don't like him."

"Is that so? Hmm. Well, I just wasn't expecting him, that's all." _You liar_, she told herself. "I hope he understands."

"He does. He just wants to be friends, that's all."

"Oh," she smiled up at her boyfriend, "I'm sure I can manage that."

_Lying to his face!_ the voice said, scolding her. But she ignored it when Sirius kissed her.

She even managed to forget about that wall… for the time being.

It wasn't until later that it would hit her: they hadn't been on the right floor for the Room of Requirement.

**

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Surprise! Sorry I've been so long in updating. I was sick for about a week (still not completely well), and I've also been worried about how to continue. But never fear! Even if the whole thing still isn't plotted, I'll soldier on. Hasn't this chapter proved that?

**Anyway, hope you all approved of how I resolved the situation between Lucius and Narcissa. Also, we'll finally see Peter… well, soon. Do you want Hermione and Co – the future ones – to make an appearance in the next post, or should I just go with… well, whatever?**

**Review, review, review!**


	8. Good Wives and Bad News

"Good Wives and Bad News"

Dumbledore smiled as his wife stepped into his room from the secret passageway connected to her quarters.

"Minerva," he said, voice and eyes tender.

"I'll have none of your tenderness, Albus Dumbledore," she snapped. The smile disappeared.

"My dear…"

"I just received an owl from Remus, telling me how unfeeling and cavalier you were about Hermione's disappearance."

"Minnie, my love, we know that she is all right," he said, holding out his hands. Minerva stayed right where she was, her arms crossed, glaring at him where he lay in their bed.

"But they do not," she said, "nor do they know that _we_ know."

"I wish we knew where they were," he said, staring down at his still-empty hands.

"We swore Hermione that we wouldn't tell anyone that she had been in contact with us," she said. "You must remember that, Albus. You should have been more sympathetic. What if it had been me?"

"Had we not heard from Miss Granger…"

"Mrs. Black."

"…then I would, quite naturally, be concerned," he said. "I was at first, if you recall. Forgive me, my dear. It slipped my mind, with everything else that is going on. Am I not permitted a senior's moment?" He looked so miserable and yet hopeful that she sighed.

"Move over, old man," she said. He shuffled over as she joined him, swinging her legs under the covers.

"You know," he said, looking thoughtful, "we never swore _by magic_ not to tell anyone…"

"Albus!" she exclaimed. "Hermione is trusting us to keep our word."

"She ought to have been in touch by now," he said.

"That's true." She frowned. "Do you think they've been delayed somehow?"

"I am afraid that I do not know."

"Oh, I cannot imagine how poor Sirius feels," Minerva said. Dumbledore pulled her close.

"Angry and lost," he said. "A wife and three children forgotten, now missing. Her letter did say that she would try to be back soon after the incident with young Mr. Weasley, but that letter was dated almost a year ago. Anything could have happened in that time." Minerva tried unsuccessfully to hold back a whimper. "I'm sorry, my darling," he said. "We can rely upon Miss… Mrs. Black."

"But can we rely upon the enemy?"

He frowned. "I wish I knew."

* * *

Peter Pettigrew cowered before the Dark Lord. He cringed, knowing that something terrible was in store for him. Whenever his master was going to the trouble of thinking about punishment it always turned out to be especially barbarous, something tailored to the victim.

The reason for this pending punishment was that Peter had remembered that he was friends with Hermione Granger… no, Black.

At first she'd been cold towards him; now, of course, he realised why.

He was horrified when he heard about the attempted rape and tried to be sympathetic towards her. He even felt guilty that she was afraid of him simply because he was a stranger. It didn't make sense, especially when James told him how she had accepted them almost immediately. It made no sense at all.

Sirius had then spoken with his girlfriend. After that, it was fine. She helped him with his homework, included him in conversations, and just tried to be friends with him in general. This meant a lot to him, although he always felt a bit jealous.

Jealous of his friends, that is, and especially Sirius. Girls had always been after him for his looks and money, but Hermione was never like that. She was one in a million, and – despite her initial unfriendliness towards him – Peter adored her. With her long, curly, brown hair and a bright eyes, not to mention her undeniable intelligence, she was absolutely beautiful. It was so unfair that she got on better with the others, and that she was Sirius' girlfriend.

So unfair!

The Dark Lord had, of course, picked up on this at some point. When Peter was captured by Death Eaters and brought before their master, he almost died of fright.

The ultimatum was that he give them the whereabouts of the Potters or die. Voldemort suggested that they frame Sirius Black. Peter didn't want to do this at first, but then it clicked into place. If Sirius ended up in Azkaban then Hermione would be all alone, in need of a shoulder to cry on…

So he betrayed his only friends, and yet he _still_ didn't get the girl. For his own safety he'd had to fake his own death. Then he was found and taken in by one of the Weasleys, heard that Hermione had disappeared… and that was it.

Now he was remembering everything. It was a few days before he admitted this to the Dark Lord, a delay which was about to cost him dearly.

"I know," Voldemort said, tapping his wand against his chin, an evil gleam coming to his scarlet eyes. "I know precisely what I'll do…"

Peter Pettigrew's screams filled Riddle Manor as blood and bits of skin spurted onto the floor.

* * *

"Aunty `Mione, look!" Katie said, running into the room. The seven-year-old brandished her wand. "Aunt Annie's finished making it, see?"

"What a lucky girl," Hermione said, stroking her hair. "Have you shown your Mummy and Daddy yet?"

"I showed it to Daddy, but Mummy's in her room, and she didn't answer when I knocked. It's nine and a half inches long," she screwed up her button nose as she thought, "and… and a unicorn hair core, a-and it's made from oak wood. That's where acorns come from," she added proudly. "Trevor told me."

"That's right," Hermione said. "Can you do any magic with it yet?"

"No, but Daddy said he'd teach me. Will you teach me, too, Aunty `Mione?"

"Of course. You say that your Mummy didn't answer?"

"No, she didn't, and I knocked ever so loudly."

"Well, I'll go and check on her, then. Maybe she's asleep. I know she'll want to see your wand."

Katie beamed at her honorary aunt and skipped off, probably to go and show off her wand some more. Hermione hoped that she wouldn't blow anything up.

They were lucky that Annie had been Mr. Ollivander's apprentice before they disappeared. She had enough know-how to make wands for the children, although it had been difficult trying to find the cores. Hermione had had to contact Dumbledore and ask for his help in procuring everything that Annie needed.

While he didn't know where they were, they were still able to communicate by a two-way parchment. She had made the headmaster and his wife swear not to tell anyone that they were still alive and safe. So far, they seemed to have kept that promise.

"Lily?" Hermione called softly, knocking on the door. There was no reply. "Homenum revelio." Well, _someone_ was certainly in the room. "Alohomora."

The door clicked open and she crept in. She was immediately confronted by panting and grunting.

"Hermione," Lily said through clenched teeth, her hands gripping the sheets of the bed, "I'm in labour."

Hermione blinked. "And you chose not to tell anyone?"

"I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions for a couple of days. I wasn't sure until a few minutes ago, and I didn't want to worry anyone by screaming. That's why I hadn't lifted the Silencing Charm on the room. Did Katie tell you that I didn't answer?"

"Yes."

"Poor love." Lily sat up higher. "Get James."

"O-of course." Hermione ran to the door. "James? James! We need you! Annie?"

The two adults came running from either end of the hallway, James from the nursery he was still fixing up and Annie from her laboratory, where she was still working on a plant to cure lycanthropy.

"What's going on?" James asked. "Is it Lily?"

"Yes. It's time."

**

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**

Excitement! And guess what? It has to be delayed because the next chapter will be set in the past… *Sniggers evilly*

**Anyway, I'm so sorry that it's taken this long to update. I've got things plotted for later chapters, but I didn't have any inspiration for this one, and then there were the floods, and we were watching the television all day, every day, to keep up-to-date, and there was flooding nearby, and… yeah. Not been the best of times. Oh yes, and I've been sick. The only things I've felt like working on are ideas and short stories.**

**I'll attempt to be a bit quicker with the next post. I assume that NoahPuckermansWifey planned to leave the past behind eventually, but I don't know when this will happen, so we'll just have to find out together, won't we?**

**Please review!**


	9. The Library and the Great Hall

"The Library and the Great Hall"

There she was again. Severus peered around the edge of his book to gaze at the girl he fancied. And he fancied her. A _lot_.

She sat there in her school clothes, yellow and black tie around her neck and the badge of her house on her robes. He had this picture memorised by now; her dark brown hair spilling past her shoulders (the ends of her locks slightly upturned), her purple eyes studying the words she took in at surprising speed, button nose screwed up in concentration and left foot tapping out a constant rhythm.

It always matched his heartbeat.

_Violet Cumbersnout,_ he thought. _Such an ugly last name for so beautiful a girl. No, a young woman._

She looked up and he quickly ducked his head, pretending to read. If it wasn't for the group study sessions he would never learn anything outside of class.

Thank the gods Hufflepuffs and Slytherins never shared any lessons.

_Why can't they get it _right_?_ his inner voice asked angrily. _How can they have missed her?_

* * *

The truth was that Violet Cumbersnout – while a talented witch in private – was terrible when it came to exams. Long ago she could have stood out as one of the brightest witches of her age (despite her Muggle parents), but she hated to raise expectations only to let everyone down with bad end-of-year results.

She just lacked the confidence to succeed. In tests.

And she sure as Hades lacked the confidence to ask him out.

Feeling someone's eyes on her she looked up. The first place she checked was _his_ table, but he was engrossed in a book – as always.

_He never notices me_, she thought unhappily.

"Look. At. Me," she whispered. Then, horrified that she had spoken out loud, she returned to her book, once again pretending to read it, and hoping that Severus Snape hadn't heard her.

Although if it got him to notice her at last… what did she have to lose?

* * *

Did someone say something? Was it her?

Severus studied her out of the corner of his eye. An attractive blush had infused her cheeks, and that caused blood to rush to his face as well.

Then their eyes met.

_Ohgodohgodohgod…_ he thought. He was frozen, her eyes drawing him into some massive spider's web of hope and dreams.

Neither moved, hands still holding their respective books, no feet moving and definitely no reading getting done.

_Did you say something? Wait. Say it out loud, Severus._

"Did you s-say something?" he mumbled. She frowned, either annoyed that he was speaking to her or confused. Or maybe she just didn't hear. Who _could_ hear that? He barely heard it! Before he could gather the courage required to repeat himself he covered his face with the book again.

_She would never want me_, he told himself.

"Yes."

Heart pounding faster, Severus looked up. Violet was half-smiling. Or grimacing. One or the other.

"What was that?" he asked. He got several shushes from surrounding students and a glare from Madame Pince. He scowled at them all before returning his attention to Violet…

But she was gone.

"Damn." He looked around desperately, but she had somehow disappeared.

He gulped, trying not to feel hurt. After all, this was the first time they had spoken; why should he feel so sad?

* * *

Hermione's head almost twisted right off her neck as a Hufflepuff passed by in a flurry of yellow and black. She made out brown hair and a fearful, teary expression, before shaking her head. She had her own problems to deal with, without being concerned about someone from another house.

Truth was… she didn't remember seeing that girl before. Of course, she wasn't Sorted with everyone else, so why would she know them all?

Still, she felt a bit bad. But Severus was most likely in the library – alone – again.

And Sirius was being strange. Shifty.

Honestly! She'd been trying her hardest to be nice to Peter, but knowing how things would turn out made it difficult.

"Hi, Sev…"

Once again she nearly got whiplash as her dark-haired friend tore past. He skidded to a halt, looking all around him frantically, until he finally noticed her.

"Oh," he said. "Uh, Hermione…"

"You were doing it again, weren't you?" she asked, frowning. He tilted his head. "Studying on your own. You're smart enough not to need it. Wait a moment." He was paler than usual and there was sweat on his brow. "Are you okay?"

"I…" His shoulders drooped. "Yes."

"No, you're not."

"Let's just go to lunch," he muttered.

* * *

Bouncing on the balls of his heels, Sirius raised his eyebrows again. Peter shook his head for the umpteenth time, keeping watch at the doorway. Suddenly, he nodded frantically. There were excited whispers around the Gryffindor table, drawing the attention of everyone else. Sirius scrambled to his feet, almost falling as he climbed off the bench. He got the thumbs up from Lucius and Narcissa and grinned.

However, that didn't calm his nerves.

Less than a minute later Hermione and Severus walked into the hall. He wandered over to the Slytherin table without a word, and she sighed, shaking her head. But she beamed when she saw Sirius waiting for her. With a slight skip in her step she hurried over to him.

"Hello," she said, moving to sit down. But Sirius grabbed her hands.

"Stop," he said quietly. She arched an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"B-because…"

She smiled encouragingly. "Are you going to explain why you've been different lately?"

"Yeah." He squeezed her hands. "Hermione…"

There was a scraping of chairs and benches as almost everyone tried to see what was going on. This was because Sirius had just knelt down.

"Oh my god…" she said. Her breaths became unsteady as he let go of one hand to reach into his robes pocket. Utter silence reigned.

"Hermione Granger," he said, drawing out and popping open a small, velvet box, "I've loved you since the day we met. I think I've known since then that I've wanted you to be with me forever. I want to see you every day, to hold you, have children with you, and one day die with you." He could see moisture forming in Hermione's eyes. "So… will you marry me?"

* * *

She had to say no. She just had to. Sirius was never married… was he? But then no one ever mentioned that they knew her at school; the Malfoys treated her with disdain, Professor Snape insulted and demeaned her at every opportunity. Maybe they couldn't remember until she went back?

Maybe she was creating the past?

But Sirius – dear, sweet, loving Sirius – was on one knee in front of her, the look of hopefulness slowly leaving his face. And she knew.

Sinking to the floor in front of him, Hermione pulled his face close.

"Yes," she said, and she kissed him. Those who heard and saw cheered, prompting everyone else to cheer, too. The future Mr. and Mrs. Black laughed as they pulled apart. He yanked her into his arms, and Hermione knew that she was home here. Yet there was one thing left to say.

"Thank you," Sirius said. "You won't regret it. You'll never regret this, Mia."

"Oh, Sirius," she said, whispering into his ear, "just because we're engaged now doesn't mean you can risk knocking me up until we're actually married. Understood?"

He gulped. "Yes, ma'am."

**

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Again, sorry it's taken so long. I can only say that it's because this story wasn't my idea, and I still haven't plotted the rest of it. Ah well. Labour and reunions next chapter, am I right? Or at least they'll start…

**Please review, m'dears!**

**By the way, when Severus is asking why 'they' couldn't get it right, he is referring to all the wrong girls who are set up as his blind dates. I thought that I should clarify that.**


	10. Surprises and Shocks

"Surprises and Shocks"

A head appeared in the fireplace – Hermione's head. She glanced around and saw that the living room was empty. The smells and noises coming from the direction of the dining room confirmed that it was dinner time at Grimmauld Place, so she pulled back.

"All clear," she said. James was supporting Lily, who was clutching her hospital bag. Annie had gathered the children together. "Got the portkey?"

"Yep!" Annie said, her eyes shining with excitement. She held out the old walking-stick and made sure that each child and teenager was touching it.

"I'll meet you there as soon as I can," Hermione said.

Annie wished Lily and James good luck, triggering the portkey, and all seven disappeared. Hermione expanded the fireplace for the Potters, grabbed a handful of floo powder and was soon hurtling through the network of fireplaces to St. Mungo's.

Appearing at the other end she made sure that no one was blocking the way, all the while calling for help.

"I've got a woman in labour coming through!" she shouted, shocking several people in the near vicinity. Someone in St. Mungo's uniform came running.

"What's going on?" he asked. Hermione rolled her eyes. Just then James and Lily walked out of the fireplace, and she grabbed Lily's bag. The man's eyes widened.

"Get a wheelchair or something," Hermione said.

"Right," he said, leaping into action. Others joined in, not even registering who these people were; just knowing what they had to do.

"We'll take it from here," a Healer said.

"I'm her husband," James said, not letting go of Lily's hand. "I'm not leaving her."

"I'll give them your details," Hermione said. "Then I'll go and tell Harry."

"Oh, yes," Lily said, smiling weakly. "Please bring him to me. I'm longing to see him."

"Of course."

"And get the Malfoys and Severus."

"Uh… yes… okay…"

Lily cried out in pain. James had to let go of his wife when Hermione thrust the bag into his arms, before sprinting out of the labour ward. She ran to reception.

"I was with the pregnant witch," she said. The receptionist looked up, startled.

"Can I have her name, please?"

"Lily Potter, wife of James Potter."

There were numerous gasps around the room as people craned their necks to see the newcomer. Some even stood up to see better.

"W-what?" the receptionist asked, wide-eyed with disbelief.

"And I'm…"

"Mia?"

She looked up when she heard the deep voice. A huge grin broke out on her face when she saw her old friend.

"Sev!" she shouted, running forward. She leapt into his arms, squealing. "I can't believe it! Who would have thought?"

He patted her back, wondering if this was a dream. "Are you really here?"

"I am."

"Are you all right?" He pushed her back to study her properly. "Where have you been?"

"I'm fine, and in hiding," she said, unable to stop beaming. "We're here because Lily's in labour."

"She is _what_?"

"I have to go and see the others," she said. "We'll be back later. Lily wanted to see you. Do you know where the Malfoys are?"

"You're not making any sense," he said. "But the Malfoys have been dining at… uh, headquarters since your disappearance. That is, the younger you. So to speak." He frowned. "But I had some potions to deliver here. Usually I send them, but, uh… things have been different." He looked at the floor. "Hermione, I am so glad that you are back. I am so very sorry for the way I have treated you all these years. My little sister." He stroked her hair. "I can never apologise enough."

"It's all over now," she said, bouncing on her heels. "But I have to go. I'm so close to seeing Sirius!"

She gave Severus a swift kiss on the cheek and then ran to the waiting area. She waved, winked and Disapparated.

The scene at Grimmauld Place was marvellous.

* * *

Quiet descended as the visitors took in their surroundings.

"I'd forgotten what it looked like," Annie whispered. "We weren't here very often, and I think Sirius must have cheered the place up a bit."

"As in our father?" Anne asked. Annie nodded. "Is he here?"

"I assume so. That's what Hermione said. Let's go and find out, shall we?"

Charles and Katie, being the youngest, held onto her hands. The other children walked in front of them, following the sounds of laughter and talking all the way to the dining room.

They were there. All the important people – well, except for Severus – were there. It was incredible.

"A… _Annie_?" Remus said. She turned her gaze to him.

"Hi, Remus," she said, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. "We're back."

"ANNIE!" He knocked over his chair as he leapt up and she ran forward into his arms.

"Oh, gods, Remus." She couldn't let him go. She didn't want to let him go. "Remus, I missed you so much."

"Where have you been?" he asked, his voice raspy.

"Mia told us that we had to hide," she said, sniffling. Finally she slipped out of his embrace and turned to the children. She beckoned Bill forward. "What do you think of our son?"

"This is Dad?" Bill asked. Annie nodded. Remus studied his son's face.

"Hi," he said softly. Bill didn't speak. He just threw his arms around his father's shoulders and held on for dear life. (Later he would pretend that it hadn't happened, in typical boy fashion.)

"Where's Hermione?" Sirius asked, his voice sharp. Annie smiled at him.

"She'll be here soon," she said. "She's desperate to see you, Sirius."

"Where is she?"

Annie bit her lower lip in excitement. "They're at the hospital." She glanced around the room and saw Harry. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Lily's in labour."

"My mum?" he asked.

"Yes, Harry. Charlie, Katie," she said, waving the two youngest children forward. "This is your brother."

"Gosh," Charles said, staring at his older brother, the famous Harry Potter. Katie was wide-eyed, too, and took a nervous step forward. Harry squatted down in front of her, feeling a bit teary himself.

"Uh… Dad?" Trevor said. Sirius nearly got whiplash as he turned to see his son. He just didn't know what to say. The last time he saw his children they were only a few years old. He wouldn't know how to tell them apart.

John saw the problem at once, and introduced himself. Sirius shook hands with his twin sons with his right hand, while holding a sobbing Anne with his left. That all changed as soon as Hermione entered the room.

Before Sirius could speak, she turned to Harry.

"Your mother wants you at the hospital. Cissy and Lucius, too," she added, nodding at the Malfoys. "Your father's still with her."

"Mia," Sirius whispered. She was beautiful, even more so than the last time he saw her. Her hair was long and sleek, straighter than before, captured in a loose ponytail down her back. Those cheeks were rosy and those eyes bright.

"Hurry now," Hermione said. "Sever… uh, Professor Snape is already there. Go on!"

Harry and the Malfoys nodded.

"Don't go, Harry!" Katie said, grabbing his hand. He looked down at his little sister.

"I won't be gone long," he said. "When I get back we can talk, all right? And then next time you see your… our mum and dad, you'll… _we'll_ have another brother or sister, okay?"

She nodded solemnly, watching him go. Sirius, tired of waiting, decided to take matters into his own hands.

Gently detangling his daughter, he began to move towards Hermione. Annie was back in her husband's arms, with Bill standing close by, and everyone else was watching. Hermione turned around at the last moment, reaching for Sirius just as he reached for her.

Their kiss was fast and fierce, fuelled by tears and missed moments. Sirius was close to squeezing the life out of Hermione as he held her, raising her off the ground in his tight embrace. She kissed his damp cheeks furiously, her own tears matching his.

"I'm here," she said. "It's all right now. I'm not leaving again."

"You'd better not," he said, cuddling and rocking her. "You'd better not, Hermione Jean Black."

John, Bill and Trevor looked at each other. As one, they rolled their eyes at the sappy scene.

Everyone else just watched, smiling at the happiness in front of them as Remus and Annie mirrored Sirius and Hermione's actions.

* * *

James paced back and forth while nurses and Healers bustled around his wife's bed. Severus was seated nearby, not knowing whether he really should stay or if he should go. Much as he was close to Hermione, he wanted to see Annie as well, and everyone's children. After all, they were potential Hogwarts students, weren't they?

The door eventually banged open. Severus was used to seeing Harry and the Malfoys.

James Potter, however, turned to see a near-mirror image of himself.

"Gods above," he said. "Harry."

"Dad. I… I can't believe it. Aunt Mia really is a genius!"

While father and son reunited, Severus greeted Lucius and Narcissa.

"How did things go?" he asked.

"Did you see Hermione? Have you seen Lily? What's happening?" Narcissa asked.

"Cissy?" Lily called weakly, recognising her friend's voice. "Is that you?"

"We're here," she said, trying to push through the gaggle of magical medics. "So is Harry."

"Harry," she said, her eyes drifting to the young man beside her husband. "My boy… my beautiful, baby boy…"

"Mum!" He tried to move forward, too, but there was a flurry of activity when some of the spells being cast turned up red.

"We're going to have to ask you all to wait outside," one of the Healers said in a no-nonsense tone.

"What, _all_ of us?" James asked.

"Yes, sir. Even you."

"No," Harry said, shaking his head desperately. "No…"

They heard Lily say something, but it was very faint. Her eyes closed and her hand fell to her side.

**

* * *

**

Yes, my readers. There have indeed been complications. Fear not for their safety!

**(Just wait until chapter twelve… *Laughs evilly*)**

**See ya!**

**By the way, part of the reason for the long wait was… well, there were troubles with the internet, especially when the modem got fried during a storm. Sigh. But I'm back online now, as you can see, and I'll try to get the next chapter written a bit sooner. Really! I promise!**

**House-hunting and job-hunting have been contributing factors in this, too. Just for the record…**


	11. Secret Rooms and NotSoSecrets Plans

"Secret Rooms and Not-So-Secret Plans"

With everything that had happened the last few months Hermione had forgotten all about that room on the fifth floor. Yet Sirius had heard nothing. Maybe it didn't actually exist?

Well, there was only one way of finding out, and for once it didn't involve research.

"Hey, Mia…" Sirius began, sidling over to her in the common room. They had an hour's break before the next class. Hermione didn't need that much time to check out the mysterious doorway, and she needed to distract Sirius for awhile. In fact, she needed to tire him out.

As it was, she didn't give him enough time to speak before pulling him down into a heated kiss. He was blushing as he pulled back, speechless. Usually he had to make the first move if… if it was going to be _that_ kind of move. The lustful spark in her eyes said everything.

"Come with me," she said, slipping one of her hands into his. "I know for a fact that your dormitory's empty."

"Yes," he hissed, allowing himself to be led upstairs. He grinned at his friends over his shoulder, tripping up the stairs as a consequence. Hermione murmured something about 'kissing it all better'.

That got him moving again.

She made sure to leave him a note when she left. He was snoring quietly, so she made sure to kiss him on the nose first. It twitched and then went still.

"So sweet," she said.

After ignoring the catcalls in the common room – she really should have set the Silencing Charms herself, instead of entrusting that task to Sirius – she climbed out through the porthole and set off at a run. Her boyfriend (now fiancé!) had been harder to tire out today than usual. She was lucky not to have succumbed to slumber herself.

Fortunately, that had not been the case, and she was now well on her way to finding the small library she had seen.

"Where, where, where… Let's see. I was thinking about Peter Pettigrew… Aha!" She reached what she thought was the right place.

"I need to find that room, I need to find that room, I need to find that room," she said, pacing back and forth. Was it possible that there was _another_ Room of Requirement?

…Nope. There was nothing there.

"What?" Hermione screwed her eyes shut and stomped her foot. "Damn and blast it, Hogwarts. I just wish that you'd show me where it is!"

She froze when she heard the stone-scraping sound again. As soon as it stopped she slowly opened her eyes.

There was the opening.

"I _knew_ there was one here," she whispered. _But it could still be an illusion_, she thought. _Best to make sure._

She nodded to herself and reached out a hand.

"Meow!"

"What…? Mrs. Norris! _Filch_!"

Without pausing to think she slipped inside and hid in the shadows. She waited as quietly as she could, listening.

_What if they come in? I'm trapped!_

"What are you looking at, my sweet? Is that a…"

"Oh, please don't let them see it," she begged quietly. She staggered back, however, when the portal closed completely.

_Now I really _am_ trapped. What about Sirius? What about my friends? What about the _future_?_

She ran her hands over the wall, trying to find some crack, some indication that she could get out. But there was nothing.

"Please, Hogwarts," she said, pushing the stones. "Please help me. Why did you do this? How do I get out? _What's going on_?"

Filch and Mrs. Norris had moved on, which was fortunate, as the castle chose to open the entrance to the room again. Immediately Hermione dashed into the corridor, breathing hard, a hand to her chest. She glanced right and left, saw that she was alone and turned around to face the library. This time she felt confident enough to enter.

There were many shelves of books, which naturally drew her attention first. Most of them she didn't recognise, making her heart pound faster than ever in anticipation of more knowledge. However, she allowed her gaze to wander, and gasped at what she saw.

A small double bed was in one corner, with a bedside table beside it and an unfinished book sitting open. There was a potions lab, dusty from disuse, and – to her amazement – a cradle and changing table opposite. Lastly, there lay a solid-looking trunk, just begging to be opened.

_Don't be stupid, Hermione_, she berated herself. _Don't… don't go near that!_

But her body disobeyed her mind, and she found herself walking over to the trunk. She knelt before it and carefully opened the lid.

* * *

"Come on, Evans," James said. "Marry me. Mia's going to marry Sirius."

"And you think that that's a good enough excuse?" she asked. She shook her head and blocked his face with a book. "Forget about it, Potter."

"Lily, please! We're dating, aren't we? And haven't I been planning this since first year?"

"Don't be ridiculous," she said, rolling her eyes and trying to return to her studying.

"It's true, you know," Remus said. "Our first night here he said that he was going to marry you one day."

"We're too young to be thinking about marriage," Lily said.

"But Mia and Sirius…"

"Are several months older than us," she reminded her boyfriend.

"We've known each other longer than they have."

"And I've hated you most of that time."

He looked despondent for a moment, but then her words registered in his mind. He grinned a Marauder's grin.

"But you don't hate me now," he said.

"W-well, no. Otherwise I wouldn't be dating you."

"…So, is that a 'yes'?"

"It's a 'no', James! Sirius and Hermione need this: he needs the guarantee of a family and a sensible girl who'll curb his wicked ways, and she also needs the guarantee of a family, not to mention someone who'll keep her from working too hard."

"But _I_ need all that, too," he said, pouting. "I need _you_, Lily."

"Gods!" She threw up her hands. "James Potter, at least Sirius put some effort into it! And he's been growing up since he started dating Mia. You've just been the same smug git you've always been, as though getting me to go out with you was some huge victory."

"It was," he said. "I'd been trying for years. Marriage is the next step. Then family." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, James," she said softly, looking away. "But it's too soon after Sirius' proposal for me to believe your motives."

James scowled and stormed out of the room. Remus and Annie looked at Lily.

"You know," he said, "I don't think he would have felt comfortable about asking you this early if it hadn't been for Sirius asking Mia. And the fact that she said 'yes', after not knowing him for all that long, bolstered his confidence. Why didn't you just accept?"

"Because…" she looked at her hands, "because I want a _nice_ proposal. He asked me the same way he's always asked me out: no warning, no… no presentation Just a question, in his how-can-you-say-no-to-me voice. Did he even have a ring?"

"Oh, yes," Annie said. "Didn't you see him playing with something in his right pocket?"

"Oh," Lily said, blushing. "No, I didn't." She shrugged. "When – _if_ – he asks me properly, _then_ I will say 'yes'."

"Fair enough," Remus said. "Will I tell him?"

"I will!" Peter said, waving his hand in the air. "I could go and find him now."

"No thanks, Pete," she said. "Let him think about it for a bit." She smiled as she sat back, book spread open on her lap. She hoped there would be flowers involved.

**

* * *

**

Whoops. I blame house-y things again. We've found the place we want – the first place we saw, actually – so now it's a matter of tying up all the legal schtuff, packing, and preparing for my sister and her boyfriend's visit.

**For the sake of generating ideas, pleeeeeeeease send in all plot requests. Confrontations? Kidnapping? Canoodling? Let me know! It'll help me post faster if I have more story fodder…**

**Anywho, I'm on a writing high, as I've just finished "Finding True Happiness", my next fic. It's 20 chapters long, no time-travel is involved, and there is much smuttiness for those of you who are of age.**


	12. Past Follies and Present Problems

"Past Follies and Present Problems"

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir."

Severus stared down at the woman who had just bumped into him. Having already delivered the potions, he was going to return to Grimmauld Place unless Mia told him otherwise. But all thoughts flew out of his head.

"It's my fault entirely," he murmured.

The woman looked up at him and gasped. He inwardly winced. Over a decade and a half had passed since last he saw her, and he knew that he looked closer to his mid-forties than mid-thirties. Hardly surprising, considering the life he had led.

Violet looked the same as ever, radiant with that halo of brown locks and those amethyst eyes staring at him, adorable with that button nose, and so wonderfully professional in her crisp and clean Healer's uniform. Some strands of hair had fallen from her bun, giving her a charming, flyaway look. It made the breath catch in his throat.

"H-hello," she said, immediately dropping her gaze to the ground. He cleared his throat, drawing her attention again. Unable to think of what to say, he stepped around her.

"Good day," he said, before striding off.

* * *

Violet hurried back into her office. As soon as she closed the door she leant against it, willing her heart to slow down again. Damn it, why did he have to cause that reaction in her?

For years she had regretted not having plucked up the courage to ask Severus out when she had the chance. If she'd been in Ravenclaw she might have had a shot… but being a Muggleborn gave her a distinct disadvantage when it came to Slytherins. Besides, he had so many popular friends, and she had none. He went on lots of dates… and she didn't. She didn't go on any. She even saved her first kiss for him, for years, before finally giving it up as a bad lot.

Like Hermione Black, Violet found it important to prove herself academically, but not just as a matter of pride, or because of being a Muggleborn. No. She knew that Severus Snape valued intelligence.

Everyone – at least those who paid her mind – was surprised when she was one of the few who aced all of her NEWTs. Since she wasn't one of the popular students it slipped by unnoticed, which was disappointing. She _wanted_ Severus to notice her.

After graduation she was immediately accepted into a Healing apprenticeship at St. Mungo's. One of her first duties was to collect the potions from the apothecary that supplied the hospital's medication.

"_Good morning, may I help y…" He froze, looking at her. Violet was pleasantly surprised that he would recognise her, considering that they had very little interaction. "Oh. Hello, Miss Cumbersnout."_

_She grimaced at the name. "Hello, Se… Mr. Snape. Fancy seeing you here. Do you work…?"_

"_Yes," he said. "I heard that you are St. Mungo's."_

_She squealed on the inside, but merely smiled on the outside. "Yes. I'm here to pick up the order."_

"_Indeed," he said. He nodded and then disappeared into the backroom. But, no matter how hard she tried, he didn't indulge in any further small talk, leaving a horrible feeling of disappointment and rejection in her stomach, and an ache in her heart._

For several months Violent volunteered to do the fortnightly visit to the apothecary. She found herself wishing each time that the Extension Charms inside the special shopping bags wouldn't work, so that she had an excuse to see Severus more often. But one day he wasn't there. The shop owner told her that Severus had left without notice.

This was the first time she had seen him since then. She heard about him doing private brewing, then about him joining the Death Eaters, and eventually working at Hogwarts. Not once did she hear about him marrying, though apparently he had a few relationships. Nothing that lasted.

_He must have thought that I looked hideous_, she thought, studying herself in the mirror. Bags under her eyes from years of gruelling work and long hours, hair in a mess due to running around the hospital, skin pale from never having a sunny holiday – any holiday, for that matter. And no love life, simply because she couldn't get over him.

"_Damn_ you, Severus Snape," she muttered. She hung her head and forced herself to leave the office. Apparently there was a problem with one of the women in labour.

Knowing that her help might be needed, she ran to the maternity ward.

* * *

By now, everyone in Grimmauld Place was sitting in the living room. Annie and Hermione were perched on their respective husband's laps, the youngest children were playing and the older ones were listening to their parents quietly reminiscing.

An interruption in the form of Severus Snape burst out of the fireplace. Annie squealed, leapt up and took him in a fierce hug.

"Hi!" she said, nearly squeezing the life out of him. "Severus, hi! How are you?"

"Okay," he said, then he shook himself and detached his friend. "I am glad to see you safe and well."

"Have you seen Lily?" she asked.

"Not yet. Have you heard anything?"

"No," Hermione said, frowning. "I'm sure Harry or James will let us know. I'll check with them later."

"You're not leaving me again," Sirius mumbled into her back, tugging her close. Their daughter was pressed against his side, and he had one arm around her again. He kept looking at his sons, just as Remus kept staring at Bill. "Any of you."

"Here, here," Remus said. "I hope you'll explain yourself, Hermione."

"I just did what I had to, based on what I remembered of the past… the past which was the future when I met you _in_ the past… Oh," she said, burying her head in her hands. "I'll explain later. I just hope that Lily will be safe. So," she said, raising her head. "Do you have a girlfriend, Sev? I mean, I wouldn't have known as a student, and from what I remember you seemed to be single, but…"

"Nice try, Mia," he said, arching an eyebrow as he conjured up a chair. He sat down smoothly, stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles. "You are not avoiding the subject forever."

"Actually, that's a good point, Severus," Annie said, allowing Remus to pull her back into his arms. "Hey!" She giggled and fidgeted until she was comfortable, causing her husband to growl. "Are you with anyone?"

"No," he said. "Leave it there."

"Remember when we set you up with lots of different girls?" she said. She grinned across at Hermione, who smiled back.

"He told me that he fancied someone," she revealed. "Did it ever work out?"

"Wait, so _Severus Snape_ actually had a schoolboy crush?" Sirius asked. He sniggered at Severus' glower. "Who was it?"

Hermione had thought long and hard about it over the years, during the less busy moments in between raising children and strategising. She had considered the possibilities and come to a conclusion.

"Sev," she said softly, "was it a certain Hufflepuff with purple eyes?"

He gave her a forlorn look, quickly masked by annoyance.

"Kindly stay out of my personal life, Hermione," he snapped. "You have been missing for all these years, and considering the headmaster's recent cavalier attitude towards your disappearance I am beginning to suspect that you have been in contact with him all this time!"

Hermione and Annie glanced at each other, the former somewhat guiltily.

"Yes," she admitted. She heard Sirius' sharp intake of breath. "I'm sorry, but I had to tell him."

"What about us?" Remus asked. He looked up at Annie. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Sirius was in jail," Annie said. "According to Hermione, we couldn't change that. You know how much they love each other. If she could have done anything to save him, she would have. As it is…" She shrugged helplessly and looked to her friend. "Mia?"

Hermione sighed. "I was rather hoping that we could have this night for ourselves, and that explanations could be saved for later. I want to be able to wake up next to my husband and know that I haven't been dreaming, that we really are here. And until we hear about Lily," she continued, "I'd rather wait. Too much tension at once is likely to make my head explode."

* * *

Meanwhile, Aurors were still examining the mysterious trunk at the Ministry. The Time-Spell looked as though it was nearing the end, but they still had many hours to go. Tonks kept glancing back at the file.

"So who d'you reckon they are? And where?" she asked. Moody eyed her.

"You keep asking the same questions, Nymphadora," he said, "and it's getting on my nerves."

She scowled. "Didn't anyone do an investigation at the time?"

Before an argument could ensue Kingsley spoke up.

"No doubt the answers will be in the box," he said. "We have waited years for this. We can wait a few more hours." He narrowed his eyes pointedly. "Can't we, Miss Tonks?"

"I guess," she muttered, kicking the air so violently that she nearly fell over. She had to grab Moody's arm to hold on. "Thanks."

"Just play a game if you're that bored, Tonks," Dawlish said. She perked up, the colour of her hair morphing into a bright blue.

"Right!" she said. "I spy with my little eye…"

* * *

**A bit of humour at the end.**

**Yes, it's taking ages to update. Then there was that whole business with being unable to upload stuff. Oh, and my sister and her boyfriend are finally here, though now they've skived off down south for five days, giving us a nice break. Oi. Went to a zoo yesterday and then the gym this morning, so I'm now tired…**

**On the bright side, I've thought up a tiny bit more plot, so hurrah! And it's all going somewhere, I promise. But I should still check with NoahPuckermansWifey again, just in case.**

**Review, please!**


	13. A Trunk and a New Plan

"A Trunk and a New Plan"

A musty smell arose from the trunk, its unoiled hinges creaking. Hermione gritted her teeth as she raised the lid the rest of the way. What she saw inside surprised her.

Baby photos, first of all, falling out of a large photo album. Before she could lift it out, however, she heard voices outside.

"Please don't let them find this place," she whispered, not knowing what else to do.

She shouldn't have been surprised when the wall closed up again. Trying not to dwell on it _just_ yet, she returned her attention to the trunk's contents. Gingerly, in case the album fell apart, she took it out and rested it on her lap. It was bulging too much, so she went and sat on the bed and opened it there.

The rest of the baby photos fell out onto the plain bedspread. Some were in black and white, some in sepia, and some in fading colours. She picked up the one on top. Baby girls, obviously twins, were giggling together as they played with some books. A hand came out from the side of the picture to dangle a toy over them, but they just ignored it. Something inside Hermione tugged at her heart as she watched that hand with the toy. Was she feeling maternal? No.

"I just miss my family, that's all," she said, and she dropped it hastily. A moment later she picked it up again and turned it over, but was disappointed to find that there was no writing on the back. It looked like none of the baby pictures had writing on them. She gently pushed them aside and focussed on the first page of the album.

_**The Family Album of**_

_**Amalea Riddle, nee Featherheart**_

"_Riddle_?" Hermione said, blinking rapidly. "Not… not _that_ Riddle, surely?"

She turned the page over and found herself staring at a young girl in Hogwarts uniform. It was in black and white, but she could just make out the Ravenclaw insignia. The girl – most likely Amalea Featherheart – twirled around, until her attention was caught by something (someone?) behind the camera-holder.

On the opposite page Hermione saw Amalea again with a man and a woman standing proudly behind her; no doubt they were her parents. Again, a pang of nostalgia made itself known in Hermione's heart. She swallowed hard and studied their clothes, for each had a Hogwarts pin on from their houses. She was surprised that the woman was from Hufflepuff and the man from Gryffindor. It was clearly a diverse family.

Turning the page, Hermione came across the first real shock, one which confirmed her suspicions. In the middle of the page, surrounded by love hearts drawn with pink ink, was a picture of a boy she now recognise as Tom Riddle. Handsome face, Slytherin tie, friends (well, followers) in the background, Head Boy badge shining on his chest. He looked to the left and Hermione followed his gaze to a picture of Amalea and Tom.

"She married _Voldemort_?" Hermione said. The strangest thing was that Amalea didn't look infatuated. Hermione had seen such looks being directed at Sirius before. No; Amalea was in love. And, if Hermione wasn't much mistaken, Tom looked as though he was in love with her, too.

It almost made him seem… human.

Flustered, she turned the pages, finding ones that progressed through what was clearly their seventh year, through trips to Hogsmeade, studying by the lake for exams, resting by the lake _after_ exams… and then some photos taken in that very room.

Soon, Hermione turned to wedding photos. It didn't look like a big affair. Had he wanted to keep it secret? Well, that would explain why she'd never read about him being married, for surely such a thing would have made its way into the history books.

_The baby photos_, she thought. _It can't be_…

A few pages later, with the year 1959 marked beneath it, was a picture of Amalea and Tom again, only this time there was a small baby bump. Hermione wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't for her suspicions and the fact that they both had their hands resting just above it, smiling into the camera. Well, Amalea was smiling, but Tom… well, he looked happy, but also as though he were trying _not_ to look happy. But Hermione could tell. There was a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes looked soft.

"Why am I thinking this about him?" she wondered aloud. She shook her head. The rest of the album was pictures of the pregnancy, some baby photos, and then they must have run out of room. For some reason, it just didn't seem right to Hermione. Much as she hated Voldemort, she felt that they should have another album to fit the rest of the pictures.

So why hadn't she heard about him having any _children_, let alone a wife?

Now ten times as curious to know what the trunk held, Hermione rested the album and extra photographs on the desk and then knelt by the mysterious object. There was a jewellery box with mother-of-pearl inlay on the top, a leather folder with some documents peeking out, two folded blankets, a few magical toys, and some pictures which must have slipped out when she removed the album. Oh, and there was a plain, leather-bound book half-hidden by the blankets.

The bookworm in her was desperate to see the tome, so she reached over to move the blankets out of the way. As soon as she touched one she felt a jolt that propelled her backwards. Before she could chastise herself for her carelessness, however, she was touched by a memory.

_Her father's hand holding out a toy, but she wasn't interested in it…_

Hermione gasped and shook her head. Freaked out, she closed the trunk with a bang and stood up.

"Hogwarts, please let me out," she said, trembling a bit. The castle obediently opened the portal and she ran out. The corridor was thankfully deserted once again, not that she noticed. She didn't even notice the walls shutting again behind her, not as she raced through the hallways back to Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

James was plotting. This wasn't a prank, though; far from it. He was working out how best to propose to Lily.

She'd hurt his feelings time and again over the years that he'd been in love with her, with each and every rejection. He had nearly burst with joy when she finally agreed to go out with him to Hogsmeade; his friends could attest to the fact that he had danced around the dorm until midnight, only collapsing into bed after Sirius knocked him out. (He got his revenge later.)

Her rejection to his proposal had hurt yet again, perhaps worse than ever, but the more he thought about it, the more he understood what she had been saying. Some of his methods of asking her out in the past had been over-the-top, and some had been understated, but it was only when he had begged her that she had relented. Begging wouldn't do this time; marriage was a much bigger commitment than a date, to put it mildly. He had to take this seriously so that _she_ could take him seriously.

Flowers. It was a pity that lilies were used at funerals. It would be tactless to use petunias, considering her relationship with her sister. He could used magical plants, but he somehow thought that she would appreciate it if he went to the trouble of choosing Muggle flowers instead. He'd have to ask Hermione about what would be best.

He wanted to appeal to Lily's sense of humour, but he didn't want to embarrass her. It would be all right if it was just the two of them, and it would certainly be a change from Sirius' very public proposal. Maybe he could ask her to marry him in Hogsmeade? On a bench beneath a tree, a bunch – no, bouquet – of flowers in his hand. He could take one of the flowers out and tuck it behind her ear… then kiss her…

Then his mind wandered off in a completely different direction, and James was only woken from his fantasy by the sound of the school bell.

* * *

**Whoops again. Um, should I bother explaining myself?**

**Okay, so I was going to set this chapter on the day that Hermione and Sirius moved into a place before they got married, so that I could vent some of my frustration on moving, but didn't want to skip that far ahead. Not when the tantalising (and still partially unsolved) mystery of the trunk lay in waiting.**

**I promise to try to keep up-to-date with this. By the way, if any of you have voted in the poll on my profile, thank you! So far Sirius Black is in the lead, and I suspect that some of the readers of this story have voted for him. Am I right?**

**Please review, even if I don't deserve it! It's my birthday in a week's time (I'm turning 22), and I had a root canal on Tuesday, so there are mixed feelings around at the moment. I keep forgetting that I have a birthday coming up, to tell you the truth. As my Aunty Von said, "You're too young to be forgetting your birthday". Sigh.**


	14. Birth and Memories

"Birth and Memories"

"Mum!" Harry shouted, grabbing her hand. "Mum, wake up! I can't lose you now. Not now…"

"Please move back, Mr. Potter."

"No, _please_…"

"Harry, we have to go," James said, looking at Lily regretfully. He was torn between staying with his wife and giving the Healers enough room to save her and the baby.

"But I've missed her all my life," Harry said. He stood firm, no matter how much James pulled at him. "Dad, leave me alone! I have to stay with her."

"Your brother and sister need you, need _us_."

"My mother needs me. Now let me pass!" Harry pushed his way to his mother's side. Relief hit him from all sides as she opened her eyes a crack. He squatted down beside her and smiled.

"Harry," she whispered. She grimaced at another bolt of pain. "I'm so happy to see you again. I just want to cry."

"Please stay with us, Mum," he said. "I've only ever dreamed about you. I want to get to know you, the real you. I want to tell you everything about me."

"Heard so much… from Mia…"

"I don't tell her everything." He held her hand tighter. "Please don't die, Mum. Stay with us. Don't leave me again, not just as I've got you back!"

"Such a brave boy," she said.

"Here!" A pale hand appeared at Harry's side, holding a vial of potion. It was Severus. "Give this to her. It's a Strengthening Potion, from my personal supply."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said.

Once she had consumed the potion Lily gained enough energy to start pushing. Harry allowed her to squeeze his hand, slightly amused to see his father embracing his potions professor. That amusement dissipated when his mother began to squeeze his hand like a boa constrictor.

"James Bloody Potter!" she shouted. "You get your arse over here right _now_!"

"She wasn't like this during the previous births," he muttered as he walked to her other bedside. Most of the Healers were standing back by now, the potion having worked a treat.

"If you do this to me again, so help me I _will_ castrate you! Mia's threat will be _nothing_ in comparison, you hear?"

"On that note, I shall leave," Severus said, unable to hide his smirk.

"Thank you, Severus," Lily said, calming down long enough to smile at him. "I can't wait to catch up with you."

"You won't like what you hear," he said, and he turned to go. He hurried out when he heard Lily resume screaming at James, not wanting to be around such uncontrolled magic. Besides, he couldn't really risk being seen here. Not if word got out. He just hoped that the Dark Lord wouldn't ask any questions, either of him or the Malfoys. Questions which would lead to much pain, and probably death.

For what seemed like the umpteenth time that day, he saw Violet. She and Hermione were talking, which did not bode well, especially when Mia looked up and smiled at him, and gave him a little wave. Violet looked at him but quickly looked away again, and he sighed. It was time to return to Hogwarts… by way of headquarters.

* * *

Voldemort grimaced. He could feel Potter's happiness. It was so bright that he couldn't even break through to find out the cause. With much effort he pushed it aside, and sank back into the painful memories of long ago.

Memories of meeting Amalea at school, when he was handsome, young Tom Riddle.

Memories of courting and marrying her, almost straight out of school.

Memories of becoming darker, but always being able to rely on his wife to love him, just as he loved her.

Memories… memories of the birth of their twin daughters, after so many years of not risking it.

He smashed the cup in his hand, crushing it under the weight of his fury. It had all been taken away from him! His family, all in the space of a few weeks!

Dumbledore had been responsible, of course. No one else could have broken through the wards like that. There was no one else powerful enough.

"_You have Hermione today, don't you?" Amalea said, cradling Violet. Tom (Voldemort by now) nodded._

"_I'll be home as soon as the meeting is over. I'll make sure that she's in the nursery room, out of the way." He smiled as he stroked his wife's cheek, Hermione resting against his chest and sucking her thumb as she slept. "Don't worry. They've always been safe there. Just lonely."_

"_Well, not for long," she said. Tom raised his eyebrows. "Hurry home. You see, we have something to celebrate." She took the hand from her cheek and placed it on her still-flat stomach. His breath caught._

"_You're pregnant," he said. "You're pregnant again."_

"_Don't be mad," she whispered. "It's not entirely my fault that you're so insatiable."_

"_Oh, I'm not mad," he said. He grinned. "Not mad at all."_

_And then he pulled her into a fierce kiss. Just as he was elated, he was also frightened, as frightened as he had been since the day their girls were born. His family was always in danger from the other side – hence the number of wards. Would another child increase that danger?_

_Not that it mattered. His family was growing, and he couldn't be happier._

Yes. He was once as happy as Potter was now.

"MacNair," he said. The Ministry executioner stepped forward and bowed.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Go to the Ministry and find out why Harry Potter is in such high spirits. Whatever it is, it should be stopped."

"Yes, master. I will return as soon as I…"

"Just. Find. Out."

Sinking back into his painful reverie, Voldemort continued to remember the tragedies that had struck him almost two decades ago.

_There was a terrible bang from the next room. Tom's heart leapt to his throat when he realised which room it was. With a strangled cry he ran to the nursery door and tried to open it. When not even the strongest spell worked he put his back into breaking down the door. Hermione wasn't crying. Oh gods, what if she was dead?_

_With Abraxas and Antonin's help, the door caved in._

_The walls were spotless, the carpet was unruffled, and the crib remained in place. Tom looked in, fearing what he might find…_

_What he couldn't find._

"_Hermione?" he said. The bed sheet was a bit twisted, and one little bootie was caught up in the centre, as though someone had pulled her out without care. "Hermione! Where are you?"_

_Now panicking, he searched the entire crib, underneath it, and every corner of the room, double- and triple-checking. But there was no sign of her._

"_The wards were broken, my lord," Abraxas said. "The ones on the door belong to someone else."_

_Tom was breathing heavily as he clutched the side of the bed, staring at the single bootie. There was only one word on his mind._

"_Dumbledore," he hissed._

Amalea was devastated, and held onto Violet as though she might be taken away, too. She nearly clawed Tom's eyes out when he touched her. After some Calming Draught was administered, they were able to talk rationally. It was decided that they should place Glamours on Violet and send her into hiding. They would have to pick someone that Dumbledore would never suspect: Muggles. Not just an orphanage, either.

Tom was able to find a couple who had recently lost a child of about Violet's age, and – despite their unfortunate surname – he left her in their grateful care. Before he left he placed a spell on the house that would make sure that its inhabitants were less likely to be noticed. It wasn't an obvious spell, but he hoped that it would help, and no one saw him do it. Besides, he had insiders at the Ministry who would make sure that the spell wasn't reported.

Before they could start planning what to do with the next baby, however, another tragedy struck. During a Death Eater raid the Aurors turned up. Spells were exchanged, bodies fell on both sides, and Voldemort had to order a retreat, much as it disgusted him to do so. Had Dumbledore been there, it would have been a personal battle between them. As it was, he had to get his men out of there, and fast.

Unfortunately, he couldn't risk returning home straight away, just in case one of the many Tracking Spells thrown had landed on him. There was no way he was putting his wife and unborn child in that kind of danger.

Sure enough, there was a Tracker on him. It was easily removed, but they had to hide out elsewhere to make sure that it was all gone.

By that time, false reports of his death had been leaked to _The Daily Prophet_.

Amalea, in her grief at losing her husband as well, or so she thought, had a miscarriage.

When Tom got home it was to the news that his wife and unborn son had died only half a day earlier.

Much as he would have preferred to get Violet back so that he had at least one person to live for, he knew that he had a more important mission now. He had to find Hermione and then kill the bastard who had ruined his joy so thoroughly.

Over the years it became more difficult. He even lost track of Violet, and vengeance clouded everything else. It was no longer about revenge on Muggles, or doing the work of his long-dead ancestor, but about paying back the people who had taken Hermione, Violet, Amalea and his longed-for son. It was that motivation which helped to pull him from death.

And now he was determined to crush Potter's supreme happiness just as his own had been crushed.

* * *

**Oops. Sorry about the swearing in this chapter. (I really don't like swearing, just in case you hadn't noticed.)**

**Also, I'm sorry that this has taken so long. Today I finally forced myself to sit down and write this. Unfortunately, I haven't been getting any emails from ffnet, and I hear that I'm not the only one, so I hope that you get this. Please let me know if you do!**

**By the way, who's feeling sorry for Voldemort's tragic past? I just decided to pour it all out in this chapter, partly as penance, especially for having made you wait so long for the rest of the labour. Lots of baby stuff in this chapter. Babies, babies, babies… This is probably due to watching season three of **_**Grey's Anatomy**_** with Mum at the moment. She'd only seen season five and onwards with me on the TV, so we've been watching the older episodes. She says that it makes so much more sense now. Hurray!**

**Anyway, this is all obviously AU, and I really only came up with it to add to the drama. Anyone going to get what happened in the nursery?**


	15. Moving Speeches and Moving Out

"Moving Speeches and Moving Out"

"If they're going to be spies, then we can't be friends with them anymore," Hermione said quietly, leaning into Sirius where they sat on a pile of cushions in the Gryffindor common room.

"Who d'you mean?"

"Severus, Cissa, Lucius… It would be suspicious for them to become," she looked around carefully to make sure that no one could hear them, "Death Eaters, if they were still friends with us. Don't you see?"

"Why would they become Death Eaters?" he asked, frowning down at his girlfriend… no, his fiancée. "Like you said, they're our friends."

"Because we can't just recruit complete strangers to be spies," she said. "Unless you want to convince any of your relatives…"

"No," he said, shaking his head quickly. "Not going to happen. They hate me more than they would hate you." She laughed softly. "Well, maybe that's stretching it a bit."

"Just a bit," she said, smiling. He began to stroke her hand.

"Mia," he said, "you know how we're getting married?"

"Mmm-hmm?"

"Well, I want to look for a place for us. You know… to live?" She turned her head up to look at him. "I get the feeling that I'm going to be kicked out soon, so I'll need somewhere to stay. I mean, Prongs wouldn't care; he'd just invite me to stay at his place, and his parents like me."

"What's not to like?" Hermione said, her eyes sparkling as she tried to suppress a grin.

"Exactly," he said, and he nuzzled her hair. "But I want a place where _we_ can be together, to raise a family, plot against You-Know-Who, hold parties…"

"In order of priority?"

"What? No," he said. She laughed. "It's just that James'll be downright depressing to live with if she doesn't say…" Then he pursed his lips together, realising his mistake. She struggled in his arms, trying to turn around.

"Sirius? What's he planning?" He stayed silent. "You tell me, or I'll never have sex with you again. More to the point, I won't marry you."

He held her tighter, looking vulnerable at that moment. "Don't threaten that, Mia," he said. Her breath caught in her throat. "Just… don't threaten that. I may be many things – a prankster, for starters – but what I am _most_ of all is the man who's in love with you, and wants to marry you." He rested his forehead against hers. "So don't say that, Hermione. I couldn't live without you."

She thought of all the time he would be living without her, and her heart clenched. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I didn't mean it. Really. I wasn't being serious…" She smiled, stroking his jaw. "I leave that to you."

"Bad kitten," he said, but he kissed her nose. "And I can't tell you. Prongs made me promise not to tell you. Course, you won't have to wait long." They turned when they heard gasps at the window. "In fact, that's probably him now."

"What…"

"James Potter, what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" Lily shouted out the window at the gathering darkness. Hermione and Sirius stood just behind her, peering out at the starry sky. They could just make out the form of Gryffindor's Seeker, zooming around outside, lighting a fiery trail behind him as he went.

"I shouldn't have taken you all to a screening of _The Wizard of Oz_ during the holidays," Hermione muttered.

"Shh!" Sirius clapped a hand over her mouth. "Lily, stay there."

The redhead glared over her shoulder at him. "What's going on?" she said.

"Look!" Peter squeaked, pointing at the words forming.

LILY EVANS

She crossed her arms, glancing uncomfortably at the people around her, before looking back at the message.

LILY EVANS WILL YOU MAR

She gasped and covered her mouth. Annie began to laugh and nudged her.

LILY EVANS WILL YOU MARRY ME?

The Gryffindors all cheered, except for Lily, who was in shock. James flew up at top speed until he reached the window, where he came to a smooth halt in front of her.

"Evening," he said. With one gloved hand he reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a bouquet of flowers, with one giant lily in the middle. He kissed it, and the flower unfurled to reveal the ring box that he had tried to present to her once. He held out the bouquet, and she took it with trembling hands.

"James," she whispered, looking from the box to him. He held up his hand.

"Ever since the day we met I've fancied you, Lily," he said. "You kept ignoring me, then rejecting me, then ignoring me some more. Sometimes I tried to convince myself to stop asking you out, since it clearly wasn't working." She half-smiled, but looked down again. "I'd list all your flaws in my head… but my heart kept telling me that you were perfect, so I'd try again. Then one day you said 'yes'." His smile grew wider. "So… say 'yes' again, Lily Evans. Say that you'll marry me."

She raised her eyes to his, then to the message behind him.

"You left out a comma," she said. His face fell, and her eyes grew wide. "I'm sorry! I'm… I'm just surprised. I didn't know what else to say…"

"If you don't know what else to say, then that says enough," he said, and he began to turn the broom around.

"Let me finish!" she said, reaching out a hand. He paused, not daring to look at her. "I didn't know what else… because the only thing that I wanted to say – that I _want_ to say – is… yes." He swivelled around, eyes wider than hers and jaw dropping. "Yes, I'll marry you, James Potter."

This time, the cheers weren't just from the Gryffindors, but everyone who had seen the message and been listening. James zipped away and did various loops and turns, shouting out 'She said yes!', until he began to feel dizzy. Then he flew back to the window and pulled Lily into a kiss.

"'Come fly with me'?" he said. "'Let's fly, let's fly away.'"

"At this time of night? You must be joking," she said, but neither of them could stop grinning. That changed, however, when they heard someone shouting from a corridor nearby.

"James Potter, would you get inside?" Professor McGonagall bellowed. "It's nearly curfew. Do you want to lose points for Gryffindor?"

* * *

It took a number of seconds before the others realised that Sirius and Hermione had stopped in front of a house. It was a Hogsmeade weekend, the first one since James proposed, and they were planning to celebrate at the Three Broomsticks in style. There was a 'For Sale' sign in front of the property.

"What do you think?" Sirius asked, his arm around Hermione. "We could start moving in while we're still at school; buy the house, buy stuff on Hogsmeade weekends and move it in, and then we'll also have somewhere more private than the pub when we get together for drinks."

"Amazing. That actually sounds logical," she said. "I'm impressed."

"Oi!"

"You'd want to live in the same village that the Hogwarts students visit?" Remus asked.

"What about when you want to go out on the weekends, after a week of working… wherever you would work?" Annie said.

"We should look for places together," James said. "If we're neighbours then our kids can play together…"

As he spoke, Hermione thought about the future. Lily and James would end up in Godric's Hollow, but she had no idea where Remus and Sirius had lived – _would_ live. And their kids wouldn't grow up together.

"Let's go to the pub," she said, interrupting James. They all looked at her. "We can talk along the way. I just want to get indoors, that's all. And I can owl the real estate agent for details," she added, nodding at the sign. "We need to work out what we're looking for in a property before we go and make any rash decisions."

"Okay," Sirius said, but he kept glancing at her as they walked to the Three Broomsticks.

On the way past the bookshop, there were some younger students rough-housing. Lucius, James, Remus and Sirius immediately manoeuvred their 'girls' around so that they were protected.

Just then, a girl in Hufflepuff colours stepped out of the shop and was nearly knocked over by the third years. Severus rushed forward and helped her pick up her books.

"Here," he said, almost shoving the last one into her arms. He was blushing furiously. "Are they hurt? I mean, are _you_ hurt?"

"I'm fine," she replied, also red. "Um… thank you, S-severus." With that, she hurried away in the direction of the school. He frowned, shook his head, and rejoined his friends, sparing a scowl for the third years.

"That was very gentlemanly of you, Severus," Narcissa said.

"Well, I like… I like books," he said.

"Maybe we could set you up with…"

"You said no more blind dates," he said, crossing his arms and scowling even harder. "I was just doing the right thing."

Still, the others continued to rib him as they made their way to the pub. Once again, Hermione was lost in thought. She would miss her Slytherin family when they had to split up, but it was necessary…

"For the Greater Good," she whispered.

"What was that?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing."

* * *

**(It's all down to you now, Remus.)**

**There have been requests for a proposal, and since I'm discovering that I have a knack for them – among other things – I decided to do it as an apology for, again, taking so long to update. As it is, I've been coming up with good ideas for future chapters, working on other stories (to have something to go after this one is finished, whenever that may be) and also had my first epileptic seizure in seven years.**

**In other words, it's been all go!**

**To my London readers: ARE YOU OKAY? I have a sister who lives in North London, and my father's family comes from Birmingham, so we're exceedingly worried. I've also got a friend who's in London at the moment, and she doesn't pay attention to the news, which is even more worrying if she doesn't know where riots are going on.**


	16. At the Ministry and at St Mungo's

"At the Ministry and at St. Mungo's"

It was insane at the Ministry of Magic. Something big had happened, something at St. Mungo's, and Macnair was clearly going to have fun trying to find out about Potter with all this chaos. Unless, of course, it was related to The-Boy-Who-Lived…

But why would his happiness be connected to the hospital? It didn't make sense.

"…alive!"

"How can they be?"

"It's true. I had it from Mrs. Bradley, who heard it from Mrs. Dawlish, whose cousin was at St. Mungo's when the Potters arrived!"

"What about the rumours about Hermione Granger?"

Macnair edged towards the couple now talking about the Mudblood.

"She took them to St. Mungo's."

"I heard that Lily Potter's having a _baby_!"

"No! Really?"

"And Hermione Granger looked so much older, _and_ she was seen embracing Severus Snape."

Macnair's eyebrows shot up. Just how accurate were these rumours? Why would the friend of Harry Potter be hugging her potions professor? And why would she look older?

These were questions for the Dark Lord to ask, of course. He was merely here to find out why Potter was so happy.

"What's happened?" he asked Dirk Cresswell, one of his co-workers.

"Apparently James and Lily Potter are alive," Dirk said, shaking his head. "Pure speculation, if you ask me. I mean, they're _dead_…"

"Look," Macnair said. He nodded at Arthur Weasley, who was talking animatedly with someone else as he walked from the lifts. It was the Minister.

"Of course," Dirk said. "Arthur will know."

"Not necessarily," Macnair said, tapping the fingers of his right hand on his left arm. "Wasn't his youngest son thrown into Azkaban for attempted rape?"

Dirk gaped at him. "I thought _that_ was just a rumour!"

"I got it from someone else," he said, shrugging. "See you later, Cresswell."

"Where you headed?"

"St. Mungo's," Macnair muttered, but he made sure that no one heard _that_. Instead, he waved over his shoulder, before following Arthur Weasley to the floo points.

* * *

The 'girls' had gathered around Lily's bed as soon as they were allowed to visit. Annie and Hermione were perched on either side of their friend, Narcissa was reclining in a seat beside them and Ginny was by the window. She kept glancing at Hermione, which the woman soon noticed.

"What's the matter, Ginny?" she asked.

"Nothing," she said, looking down at her hands.

"It may have been awhile, but I can tell that _something's_ wrong."

"It's just… it's like you've grown up overnight, and you've got all these friends," she said. "And I feel so… out of it."

"Oh, Gin," Hermione said. "It's only been, what, a few weeks for you? For me, it's been a couple of decades. I've lived for so long with Annie, James, Lily and our children, not able to see my husband or any of my other friends – friends like you and Harry and…" She broke off. "I'd forgotten all about that. Whatever happened to Ron?"

"Perhaps someone else should tell you," Narcissa said slowly. "Later."

"I just can't understand it," Hermione said. "Why would he attack me like that, just because I didn't fancy him back? I loved Sirius even then." She smiled as she looked down at her lap. "It wasn't like him at all."

"What we would all like to know is how that one event could have caused you to travel back in time," Lily said. "You never told us, in all these years. Didn't you ever figure it out?"

"I cannot tell you yet," she replied. "Yes, I did discover the truth, but there is someone else I have to tell, and I'm seeing her tonight."

"Another friend?" Ginny asked, still feeling somewhat bitter.

"Not yet, but I have high hopes."

"Who is it?" Annie said.

"You wouldn't remember her. She went to Hogwarts with us. Her name is Violet, and…" She dropped her voice, glancing around quickly. "Severus fancies her."

"_What_?" the three women exclaimed. Ginny's jaw dropped.

"It's true," Hermione said. "And she fancies him right back."

Her four friends took this time to think while she smiled smugly.

"You know what I'm thinking?" Lily said, breaking the silence. They looked at her. "I think it's time to renew our match-making efforts."

* * *

"I do not like it," Severus said, leaning against the wall beside James. "There is no good reason he could ever be here."

"Is there ever a good reason for someone to be at St. Mungo's?"

"What about giving birth?" Sirius asked.

"I wish they'd finish in there already," Remus said, taking a peek through the window into Lily's room. "I want to get Annie home."

"I can't believe Hermione kept the house in Hogsmeade all this time," Sirius said. That feeling of joy which he always felt about his wife threatened to choke him. "She always believed that we'd be living there again."

"Can we _please_ get back to the problem at hand?" Severus asked. The three Marauders returned their attention to him. "Macnair was here, and he visited no one. According to Arthur the Ministry was abuzz with the news of your 'return'. I believe that the Dark Lord sent him to spy."

"Why couldn't he go through you?" James said.

Just then, one of the Healers went by. She paused briefly, but she wasn't looking at either James or Sirius.

"Good afternoon," Severus said. She blushed.

"Good afternoon," she said, and she hurried away.

"What was that about?" Sirius asked, and he grinned. "Got your eye on her, Sev?"

"Leave off, mutt," he said. "And to answer your question, Potter, I suspect that Macnair was simply available at the time. The Dark Lord can be… impatient sometimes."

"Merlin preserve us," Remus murmured. He straightened up when he noticed their womenfolk coming towards the door, leaving Lily in bed. He opened the door and waved them out. "Ladies."

"Thank you, Remus," Narcissa said. Annie threw her arms around her husband.

"You'll get your 'thank you' from me later," she whispered. He shivered.

That was it. They were going home. Now.

* * *

Hermione finally managed to get away from Sirius for long enough to make dinner. The 'kids' had gone out, wanting to see more of the world away from their castle home of so many years, and also to escape their parents, who were behaving like rabbits. Teenaged rabbits. With extra hormones to spare.

"For three?" Sirius asked, looking at the table setting. "Who are we expecting?"

"Violet Cumbersnout, one of our former schoolmates," Hermione said. "She was in Hufflepuff. A quiet girl, but she got high NEWT scores."

"And she's coming here because…?"

"I need to talk to her. _Without_ you around."

"But…"

"You can do something else while we talk after dinner, but it won't make her feel any easier having _you_ around. It will be a… difficult enough conversation as it is. I don't want to risk any funny remarks being made."

"What does she do?"

"She's a Healer at St. Mungo's. She assisted while Lily was giving birth, actually. She has purple eyes…"

"Hey, I think we saw her today!" he said. "She and Severus greeted each other."

"Really? That's great!"

"Why? Oh no." He shook his head. "I thought this was all over with, this match-making business. I thought you were going to leave him alone."

"Who said anything about match-making?" she asked, her eyes wide. "It's just nice that he's being sociable with pretty young women."

"No. I know you too well, even if it's been fifteen years, love." He stalked forward, backing her against the kitchen sink. "You won't be happy until he's found his true love."

"Sirius, he _has_," she said softly. "It's just a matter of getting them together."

"So that's what you want to talk to her about?"

"No," she said. "Now shoo." She waved a wooden spoon. "Shoo!"

* * *

The two women made small talk before Hermione finally got around to the reason for the 'meeting'.

"I learned something awhile ago, something very important pertaining to both of us," she said. "You have the right to know. I mean," she bit her lip briefly, "I was in two minds about this. On the one hand, it's a terrible thing to know, in some respects. But should I keep it from you? No. I should at least give you the chance to decide whether you want to know it; and if you don't, all I need to do is use a Memory Charm, and you'll forget all about it. The problem is… is that it might change your life. Knowing the same thing – being in the same situation – I can tell you that it changed my perception of myself. Only at first, however. After the shock wore off, I knew that it didn't change who I was."

"Mrs. Black, I still don't know what you're talking about, but now I feel more apprehensive than before," Violet said, sitting her cup and saucer down on the coffee table. "What is it?"

"You and I… We're twins," Hermione said. "I don't know the whole story, but I _do_ know that we were twins, and that's how I managed to time-travel."

"T-time-travel? _Twins_? I… I don't understand…"

"I always thought that I was born on the nineteenth of September, nineteen-seventy-nine. But then one day I was nearly raped, and next thing I knew I was twenty years in the past." She stood up and began to pace. "One day, while I was in the 'past', I happened across a room which only ever appeared when I wished it to. It was a private room, and there was a trunk. Inside it were pictures, a blanket, and other assorted things. In the pictures were twin baby girls… whose names were Hermione and Violet. Hermione and Violet Riddle."

"And you think that we are those twins?" Violet said. Hermione nodded. "But… but we don't look anything alike! And you were born in the seventies. You've said so yourself."

"Whenever I touched the blanket it brought back a memory," she said. "I can't go into it all now – this is all a lot to take in for the one night – but I believe that you're my sister, and that we may have even been placed under glamours. Then again, not _all_ twins are identical." She pulled a scrap of material out of her pocket and quickly enlarged it. "This is the blanket. Try touching it."

Wary, Violet reached out and stroked it with a finger.

_Giggling up at her mother, who pushed her wavy blonde hair back behind one ear while she continued to tickle her baby's tummy with her free hand, amethyst eyes shining._

She pulled back and glanced up at Hermione, who just kept looking at her. So she pressed her finger to the cloth once more.

_Another was beside her – her sister! Chubby little fists and feet were flailing as she screamed in laughter as well, their father assaulting her belly with his long fingers, a rare grin on his face._

"No," Violet said, standing up and walking away a few steps. "It can't be." She turned around. "Where are they now?"

"I know where our father is," Hermione said, dropping the blanket onto her armchair.

"What's his name?"

"His name was Tom Riddle, but he goes by a different one now. This… this is the part that's hardest to accept."

"Who is he, Hermione?"

"…He's Lord Voldemort."

* * *

Sirius stepped back from the doorway, wishing that he hadn't used one of the twins' Extendable Ears.

Was this true? Was he You-Know-Who's son-in-law?

And why hadn't Hermione told him first? When did she find out?

One thing was for certain: she had a lot of questions to answer, and by the gods was she going to answer them as soon as her sister had left.

* * *

**Gah! I know. It's taken me ages. (Again.) However! I now have a system in place. I've set the banner for this story as my desktop, so that ought to prompt me to update more often. Good idea? I reckon so.**


	17. Occlumency and Discovery

"Occlumency and Discovery"

While in Hogsmeade, Hermione had purchased a Pensieve. She wanted to learn Occlumency, and to do that she needed to make sure that any… 'unwanted' memories were placed elsewhere safely. Lucius, Narcissa and Severus would need to be spies for the Order once they left Hogwarts – they simply _had_ to be – so they would need to learn the art of blocking their minds from intrusion.

And what kind of know-it-all would she be if she didn't… well, know it all?

* * *

"Come in, my dear," Dumbledore said. She stepped into his office and closed the door softly. "What is it you wished to ask me? Your letter was quite vague." He chuckled as he waved the piece of parchment in front of him. "Were you afraid that someone might intercept it?"

"No, sir," she said, sitting down as he indicated. "But I believed that a mystery would entice you more. You are, after all, a very busy man."

"Not too busy to make time for my students and their problems," he said. "However, I do respect your attitude and admire your cunning." She blushed, pleased with his praise. "Now, what is this so secretive matter you need to discuss?"

"I would like to learn Occlumency, professor. And Legillimancy, if we have the time." His eyebrows shot up. "As I said, you _are_ a busy man, but I am a fast learner, and I think that it could help a great deal."

"In what way, Miss Granger?"

"Sir, I am certain that I can convince some of my friends to spy on… on Voldemort, for you." He leaned forward, beginning to smile. "Absolutely certain. But to do that effectively, they need to be able to protect their minds, conceal any incriminating memories and feelings from h-him. If you took the time to teach me, then I could take the time to teach _them_."

"And how would they explain their friendship with you?" he asked.

"Well, I had thought about having some kind of falling out, but it might look awfully suspicious. They have invited me to stay with them during the holidays, after they are married, so I thought that perhaps they could tell him that they are spying on _me_, or that I am their cover to appear Muggleborn-friendly, or even that I am their prisoner!" She waved her hand. "I don't know. Ron was always the better strategist, and he… he…" She blinked back the threatening tears at the memory of the attempted rape. She briefly wondered how the Weasleys were coping with it, but then returned her attention to the headmaster, aware of his worried gaze. "Sorry, sir."

"Not at all, dear. The memories are painful, are they not?"

"They are."

"Yet feeling pain reminds us that we are alive, and that we are human," he said. He stroked his beard absent-mindedly as he considered her. "Very well. You wish to help your friends…"

"For the Greater Good," she added. He looked mildly surprised, and nodded slowly.

"Most admirable, Miss Granger," he said. "You have been thinking about this for some time, I am guessing."

"I have, sir. I prefer to plan ahead, even if my plans don't always work out." She smiled wryly, thinking of all the times something had gone wrong thanks to Harry's impetuous nature and her own underestimation of the enemy. Often had been ashamedly more arrogant than her best friend.

"Permit me to get some idea of how much time we will need," Dumbledore said, raising his wand. Hermione nodded, preparing herself for the intrusion by sinking into a meditative kind of state. "_Legillimens_."

She was used to thinking of her mind in the same way as Sherlock Holmes did, by envisioning it as a well-organised attic stocked with filing cabinets, and everything important that she learned was put away neatly. She had never had need of a door, but now she could 'see' the headmaster walking in. He headed straight for the Pensieve in her mind, a recent addition. She tried to push him out, and then pull him once he was hovering over the bowl. Yes, she had already removed the essential memories, but there were certain ones she still didn't want him to see.

But then she was distracted. There was an opening – the opening he had used to get into her brain-attic – and through it she could see what must have been his own memories. While he poked about in her mind's Pensieve, she walked to the opening, unnoticed by him, and stared at the memories rushing past. She noticed one of a baby in a crib, and held out a hand to grasp it.

Before she could, however, she was expelled from his mind, and she instinctively pushed him out of hers and shut the door.

They both breathed heavily as they stared across the desk at each other. Dumbledore recovered first, and placed his hands on the surface.

"You have a remarkable brain, Miss Granger," he said. "If you had not allowed yourself to become distracted, you would have been able to keep me from viewing your memories, if not repel me completely."

"Uh… thank you, sir."

"Have you always thought like that?"

"Ever since I read _A__Study__in__Scarlet_, I have, sir. It made so much sense to me. Of course, I only added the Pensieve recently, when I had the idea of learning Occlumency. It took an awfully long time to place anything in it, and I have a long way to go. But I keep things in there which I don't want anyone else to see."

"And that would be the first place anyone would look," he said gravely. "While making your memories more secure, you have made them more vulnerable by openly displaying their hiding place."

"You think I should conceal them somewhere else? A cupboard, perhaps?"

"It is up to you, my dear. But I anticipate our lessons would be few, as you seem to have a natural grasp of Occlumency. As for Legillimancy, that is different, and had _I_ not been so occupied, you might have learnt more than you did."

"I didn't learn much at all, headmaster. But I am curious. Who was the baby?"

Any trace of humour disappeared from his face. "That is something which happened many years ago, Miss Granger. Not my proudest moment, and if I could reverse it, I would. However," he continued, "time is a tricky thing, and to alter the course of events is far too dangerous, even for this old man." He finally smiled again. "I will send you an owl once I have devised a schedule for our sessions. Is that agreeable?"

"Very much so, sir," she said, beaming at him. They stood up, and she headed for the door. But she turned at the last moment. "Just one more thing, headmaster."

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Is there some sort of group or organisation that I can join, to help defeat Voldemort?"

"Not while you are still a student, Hermione," he said. His smile was kinder. "After you graduate – if he is still alive – we will speak then."

"Fair enough," she said, inclining her head. "Good night, Professor Dumbledore."

"Good night, Miss Granger."

* * *

The headmaster was more guarded about his memories after that, but he managed to maintain his focus on trying to get at Hermione's memories. He was quite strong, and Hermione knew that Voldemort – her father, difficult as that concept was to swallow – would possibly be stronger. She was just grateful that she seemed to have inherited his natural talent for Occlumency.

By the end of five weeks, with one lesson per week, she could successfully propel Dumbledore from her mind, and keep him out. Once, while she was defending herself, she caught a glimpse of something that surprised her, something she never knew.

"You and Professor McGonagall are _married_?" she said as soon as they were back in their own minds. He laughed.

"Yes, we are," he said. "That is something comparatively few people know, and I would appreciate it if you don't spread that around." He sobered. "It is for her safety, Miss Granger, and even for mine. If anything happened to her there is nothing I would not do to get her back, even at the expense of my own life. That is why we are so careful to keep it under wraps. She has a ward on her door that alerts her if somewhere is there, and whenever she is in our rooms her floo automatically redirects to mine. It is primarily the staff members who are aware of our relationship."

"I understand, sir," she said softly. "I would feel the same way." _I__will__have__to_, she thought. "Your secret is safe with me. You don't even have to tell Professor McGonagall that I know, if you don't want to."

"We keep very few secrets from each other," he said. "You will learn that when you are married, Miss Granger." She reddened and looked down at her folded hands, biting her lower lip. "When will you become Mrs. Black?"

"Sometime after graduation. As much as I love school, the thought of being married to Sirius makes me wish that it was all over with, just so I can have a family. If it wasn't for my friends, I would be all alone." She looked up, half-smiling. He smiled back. "Is that all for tonight, sir?"

"Yes, Miss Granger. However, if you would like to learn Legillimancy, you may return next week."

"I would like that, sir."

* * *

The had barely begun a session one night when Dumbledore was called away on some emergency to the Ministry. He barely had time to wish her good night before he left. A moment later, Fawkes, who was nearing the end of his cycle, burst into flames, leaving behind a pile of ashes. The former heads of Hogwarts were dozing, as they usually did during the private lessons, since it was otherwise quite boring for them.

It was the perfect opportunity, quite frankly, to do some much-needed snooping.

"If she's still alive, she'll be here," Hermione said, pouring through the student records for those in her year level. She had no idea what might have happened to her twin sister, but she knew their birth-date, and she knew that her first name was 'Violet', just as hers was 'Hermione'. If Violet had also been secreted away, and with the same first name…

Record after record was passed over, especially the ones for the boys. Both girls might have had Glamours placed on them – she had no idea, and didn't like to try to remove something which wasn't there – so there was no point attempting to find someone who looked like her. People would have noticed by now.

"Like _The__Parent__Trap_," she muttered.

For some peculiar reason, Dumbledore had organised all the files into houses – that was logical – but then arranged them according to first names, not by last names and year levels. It took her awhile to realise that this wasn't just for current students, either, but all the former students, at least during his tenure as headmaster. Shaking her head with irritation, she skipped right through to the 'V's, finding the Violets almost immediately.

She nearly choked when the first file she checked was that Hufflepuff girl she had noticed a few times now, the one Severus helped when they were in Hogsmeade a couple of months previously. Telling herself that there was no such thing as fate, Hermione pulled out the file and checked her date of birth.

Fawkes gave a pathetic squawk, and she hastily shoved the file back into its drawer, closed everything up and left the office, her mind whirling.

* * *

**I have surgery tomorrow, to remove two pilar cysts from the back of my head. One of them is large, which is why I'll either be under heavy sedation or general anaesthetic, and it's over an artery and a nerve. It is my desire to reassure you all that, should I not survive (to be overly pessimistic) I have notes for the rest of the story, so that someone else can finish it.**

**But ****since ****this ****story ****has ****already ****been ****adopted ****once, ****let****'****s ****hope ****that ****it ****doesn****'****t ****have ****to ****be ****passed ****on ****again. ****Wouldn****'****t ****want ****it ****to ****feel ****unloved, ****would ****we?**

**Pray ****that ****I ****live ****to ****see ****another ****fanfic-filled ****day, ****my ****readers! ****And ****if ****I ****see ****a ****bright ****light, ****I****'****ll ****tell ****them ****that**** '****they****' ****can****'****t ****have ****me ****until ****this ****story ****has ****been ****completed, ****okay? ****Okay.**


	18. Castles, 'Shock', and Setups

"Castles, 'Shock', and Setups"

It had to come up in conversation eventually, and what was the point in delaying it any longer? Just because it was a little-known fact…

Luckily, her husband was a very good listener.

"Hermione found out about it," Annie said, lying in bed beside Remus, their fingers entwined. "I don't know how, but that woman can find out _anything_ if she puts her mind to it." He chuckled. "It started with a footnote in _Hogwarts:__a__History_."

"I'm not surprised. I sometimes included a question in an exam which could only be answered if the student had read all the footnotes, and Hermione was one of the few who did it without fail."

"Apparently it referred to another building on a patch of land on the other side of Hogsmeade, one which housed the female students and members of staff," she said. "This was during the Founders' time. It was much smaller than Hogwarts, which held all the classrooms, the bigger library, the greenhouses and the Quidditch pitch. The girls and lady teachers had to walk to Hogwarts five days a week for classes."

"All the way from Hogsmeade?" he asked, eyes widening. "Why did the _women_ have to do it?"

"Wizard-dominated world, remember? Although I suspect that Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff wanted to prove that the girls were capable of doing it, and didn't need to be coddled and protected." She had an amused glint in her eye. "I'm sure you can guess why they felt the need to separate the boys and girls, and even the teachers."

"Hey, none of you fell pregnant until after we all tied the knot," Remus said, feigning indignation.

"That's because of the wards over the castle," Annie said. "May I continue?"

"Of course, love," he said, stroking her palm. "This is a great way to pass the time before the next round." She blushed. "Ah, I love that you can still do that."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"As I was saying," she said loudly, "this is where the Hogsmeade weekends started. Of course, there was less to do then, but it was a way to let the male and female students and teachers intermingle on the weekend in a public setting. But the Founders thought that the whole thing was impractical, as the trek cut into time which could otherwise be spent learning. So Hogwarts was expanded, spells were cast on it to ensure against conception, and the old female boarding house was demolished… or so people were led to believe."

"Oh, really?" He rolled onto his side, unashamedly intrigued. "Why?"

"Hermione told us that only someone with true need for the building would be able to find and access it. After all, it was basically a fortress. During her own time – without telling any of us, may I add – she searched the area surrounding Hogwarts, knowing that it would have to be nearby if the women were supposed to walk there nearly every day. Somehow, the building 'allowed' her to find it, and that's where we've been staying."

"…Near Hogwarts, all this time?"

"Yes," she said softly, pulling her hand away to play with the sheets at her waist. "She knew that we'd be safe there, and she was also able to keep an eye on everyone, and…"

"And?" he prompted when she stopped. She bit her lower lip.

"She always made sure that I took a Contraceptive Potion, though I could see how hard it was for her. She could hardly sneak into Azkaban. But it was better the next year. At least we both got a year with…"

"Why would you need…" He halted, staring at her. "I'm remembering."

"Yes," she said, nodding. "The words 'contraceptive potion' were supposed to break the memory charms on you. Whenever you were at Hogsmeade during your time as DADA professor, Mia would 'kidnap' you and use a Time-Turner – don't ask me where she got it from – to bring you both back in time so that we could… reunite." She swallowed. "You were always so happy to see me, but we had to block the memories afterwards, and you could only stay as long as the Time-Turner permitted."

"I didn't forget them," he said. "I just thought that they were dreams. At least, I relived those moments in my dreams at night. Until the end of the school year."

Annie smiled tearfully. "She's a genius."

"So when Sirius was on the run…"

"She got to visit him a lot more, while he was living in that cave. He wouldn't have lasted so long if she wasn't giving him extra food and some potions to sustain him. She just blocked his memories, too. Though she had a pregnancy scare once." She shivered. "I know she's brilliant, but she didn't want to risk the memory charms not working, and knew that people would ask questions if we had children while we were in hiding. She didn't want to put the children, or James and Lily, or either of _you_through that. We were so glad when it turned out not to be so… But it was always difficult whenever Lily would fall pregnant." Tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "Oh, Remus. How I'd miss you." He sat up as she brushed them away. "I wanted to give you another child, and had to wait all this time." She giggled through her tears. "I spent my free time making wands, though I'm not sure _that_ helped much, considering what they kept reminding me of."

"I'm so sorry," he said, and he pulled her close. "We won't let either of you go, _ever_ again."

"I mean, Mia was right," she said. "We couldn't return until she had left, and then what with Lily being pregnant we had to wait a bit longer, though we never expected the rush to St. Mungo's."

"And Harry's false memories?"

"More clever magic, designed purely to give him hope." Her tears had finally dried, and she gave him a smirk. "Have we talked long enough?" He arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, we have, Mrs. Lupin."

* * *

The shock of having her back, of living in their own home again, must have been the cause, Hermione decided. That was why Sirius was avoiding her. Delayed reaction. That, and having sent the children off to Hogwarts to finish their educations. Albus had been keeping her up-to-date on what the students were learning, so that they would be prepared to join classes.

Bill Lupin had ended up in Ravenclaw, along with Anne Black. Trevor and John Black had both been sorted into Gryffindor, and the adults were taking bets on where Charlie, Katie and the new baby Potter would be, though it was a bit difficult with the latter.

Her true ancestry weighed more heavily on Hermione than when she had thought she was a Muggleborn. To her, there was no shame in being Muggleborn. Look at Lily, for crying out loud!

But being Voldemort's daughter – one of them – was not something to be proud of, even though she had never believed that a person's heritage defined them. After all, she and Violet were descended from the three good Founders as well, not just the bad one.

Violet… Thinking about her made Hermione think about Severus. She, Lily, Annie and Cissy had been speaking again during another St. Mungo's visit the previous day, and decided that the date should be set up soon. They would have only this one opportunity.

However, it wasn't going to be a blind date. Severus and Violet would no doubt put in more effort if they knew who they were going to be meeting.

That was what brought her to St. Mungo's the second day in a row. She found Violet quickly enough, now knowing where she would most likely be. In their first owl since she had revealed their kinship, the sisters had agreed that Glamours might have been cast on them, but also agreed not to remove them unless it was absolutely necessary. Having been using them so long, it would likely be painful to return to their true appearances.

"Hello," Hermione said. Violet nearly spilled her tea.

"Hi, Hermione," she said, not quite meeting her eyes. "Are you visiting Mrs. Potter again?"

"I'm here to see you," she said. "I want to set you up with a mutual acquaintance, since you're both single. I'm sure you'll get on marvellously."

"Listen, you don't have to…"

"It's Severus Snape."

"Do this… What?"

"I bet you have a lot in common," Hermione said, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet, hands crossed behind her back. "Potions, high NEWT results, me… Please say yes."

"I…" She shrugged, shaking her head. "Okay. Just… owl me a time and place, and I'll see if I'm available." Hermione grinned at the blush on Violet's face.

"I'll get Sev to write to you," she said, and she hurried out of the room.

* * *

"Narcissa put you up to this, didn't she, Lucius?"

"Of course she did, Severus. What did you expect?"

"I had rather expected to be left alone," Severus said, sinking back in his chair, marking abandoned. "Why must the females in our lives insist upon meddling in mine?"

"As you say, they are in our lives. Although," Lucius continued, tilting his head, "you haven't _really_ got a female in your life, have you? Not in the way it matters the most." He wiggled his eyebrows somewhat, and Severus blanched.

"Don't be vulgar; it doesn't suit you."

"Thank you very much."

He sighed. "Who do they wish to set me up with _this_ time? Or am I not allowed to know? I swear, this is the last time…"

"That's what my wife told me," Lucius said. "That this would be the last time. And the woman's name is Violet… something. Dreadful last name." Severus said up straighter.

"Cumbersnout?" he asked. Lucius nodded. "They're setting me up with _her_?"

"I'm sure there can't be anything too wrong with the girl," he said. "Otherwise they wouldn't dare risk your wrath. Not now that you teach their children."

"Hmph." He looked thoughtful. "Has she agreed to it?"

"Miss Cumbersnout? According to Mia, yes. She seemed quite happy, though Merlin only knows why," he added, a bit teasingly. Severus scowled. "You are to contact the young woman at your earliest convenience to set a place and a time. Good luck."

"Good riddance," Severus said half-heartedly, pretending to kick his friend out the door. But his heart was pounding in excitement. A date with Violet! Could this day get any better?

* * *

**Romance is in the air… as is tension. Must have some kind of balance, after all.**

**I'll try to write and post when I can, but I'm likely going to be in Melbourne from this weekend until early to mid December. My cousin had spinal surgery yesterday and will need help with things around the house and such-like. Since I'm the only person in the family who's actually in a position to go, my offer of assistance has been accepted.**

**Therefore, I'm assuming that I won't be able to access the internet as often as I can back home, and I may not have the same amount of time in which to write.**

**On the plus side, I've plotted the next five chapters, and I think I've got notes for the entire story, for that matter. Unfortunately, with unexpected additions (such as Sirius's little eavesdropping bit in chapter sixteen), the story will take detours on the way to the end. Sigh.**


	19. Graduation and What Has Happened

"Graduation and What Has Happened"

_Seventh Year_

"Oh, I just don't know," Hermione said, running a hand through her hair. She gazed around the bedroom of their Hogsmeade house, while Sirius, James, and Peter watched her agitation with amusement. Remus entered the room.

"Are you still going?" he asked, clearly amazed. "I thought you were nearly done."

"Hermione's working out the best place for the bed," Sirius said. His lips twitched. "Now, normally I wouldn't object to anything involving that, but we were going to go to the Three Broomsticks before we had to get back to school."

Hermione scowled at the boys, just as Lily joined them.

"We're waiting, Mia," she said. "Are you coming? You know, you _can_ change it around later. You can even use magic, since this is your own home. And you don't want our opinions on your bedroom, do you?"

"But whatever you think is best will apply to the guest rooms," she replied, turning around on the spot. "Sirius, what do you think?"

"I've given you my opinion, love," he said. "We've still got months before graduation."

"Weeks, Sirius," she said, now tapping her wand against her thigh. "I should have revised the floor plans…"

"For the sixth time?" James asked, eyes widening. "How many times…"

"Just you wait until you and Lily buy a house," she said, crossing her arms.

"And on that note," Sirius said, sliding an arm around her shoulders, "we should all go to the pub. What do you say?"

"Fine," Hermione said. She glanced balefully at the double bed behind them. "Perhaps after the exams…"

"We'll have time then. Great idea. Mia. 'Great idea, Mia'." He grinned as they all walked down the stairs. She hit him on the stomach.

"Very funny," she said. "Almost as funny as 'Are you serious, Sirius?'."

* * *

Weeks passed, they finished their exams, and the furniture was at last in place. Sirius had been kicked out of home after he spent half of the money in his vault buying a cottage in Hogsmeade and a flat in London. He spent a third of the remaining money on furnishing both places. Hermione had protested, but he insisted upon doing this, reminding her that she was in fact putting up with him for life. Add to that the fact that it angered his family that the money was being spent on a Muggleborn – and in preparation for any half-blood offspring – and she could understand his motives.

And she had yet to finish her schooling and get a steady source of income. Professor Dumbledore had been supporting her, and her friends had been giving her somewhere to stay during the holidays, just as Sirius now lived with the Potters.

But after the exams, more drama was due.

* * *

"I wish we could be there for them," Annie said, looking down at her hands. She was leaning on her knees, her fingers entwined, and was bouncing her legs. Remus put a hand on her back.

"We all do," he said. Peter had gone to bed early, Hermione having helped him study to the point of exhaustion (for him) and relief (for her). He had missed out on a lot, and she always conveniently arranged for him not to know that Severus, Lucius and Narcissa were to be spies.

That was where they were that night. A Death Eater initiation ceremony. She had been teaching them Occlumency, based on her lessons with Professor Dumbledore. He had protected his mind more effectively since their first session, and she had learnt quickly in her desire to conceal some of her own memories.

Nevertheless, it was time for Hermione to give them a reason not to tell Peter about the fact that Voldemort's three new recruits were plants.

"We shouldn't tell Wormtail," she said. They all looked at her. "He's a gossip. He couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it. And I hate to say it, but he isn't as strong as any of us. Voldemort," they flinched, "could see into his mind easily, and he would be easier to break. If he was tortured, he would not last as long. Do you really want to lose him, or any of our other friends?"

There was silence for a bit as her friends took this in. Hermione had already discreetly cast a Muffliato charm around them, just in case Peter decided to do a bit of his own spying. She had no idea when he became a Death Eater, but she knew better than to think that she could have changed him, meeting him so late in the piece. It was his character, and people's behaviour towards him over time, that had formed him as a human being.

"Wow, Mia," James said. "I guess you're right. I hate to say it, but you're actually right. And I don't think he's ever trusted the others. I mean, we only made friends with them thanks to you, and he wasn't there when that happened."

"Indeed," she said.

"Do you think they're back yet?" Lily asked, glancing at the door.

"We could go and find out," James said, pulling the Invisibility Cloak from his pocket.

"Professor Dumbledore said that we mustn't," Hermione said, but she said it with great reluctance and indecision. "Besides, he would know that we were there, and we can't all get under the Cloak, remember?"

"Do you want to go?" He held out the Cloak. She glanced at the others, but no objections were raised. She slowly took it, and let the remarkable cloth run over her hands, making them disappear.

"Thank you, James," she said.

* * *

A few days before graduation they were all pleased to note that the Dark Marks no longer pained their friends, even though the time spent between the Gryffindors and Slytherins had been reduced. Professor Dumbledore had invited them all to join the Order of the Phoenix once they had finished their schooling, and they had accepted. Hermione told him a bit of what she knew of the future, including Peter's betrayal.

She was using her post-examination free time to research time-travel, the history of the Founders, ways to create the illusion that Lily and James died, and to keep visiting that most interesting hidden room. She was still having a hard time believing that she could be Voldemort's daughter, and that she had a twin sister at Hogwarts. The headmaster was unlikely to give her any answers about the baby in his memory, and there was no way she would be able to check out his Pensieve. There was no guarantee, in fact, that that particular memory would be in there.

But when she had finished her perusal of the room, she had found a baby bootie, one which seemed familiar to her. It wasn't until she thought about Dumbledore's memory that she realised where she had seen it before.

With the war slowly intensifying, and coming closer to home, it was not the time to be delving into her past. It was time to be considering the future, and how she could change it without appearing to.

* * *

It was time for graduation. Everyone was expecting the usual suspects to get the highest number of NEWTs.

Violet began to twist her program in her hands. They had all received their leaving certificates, but the results had yet to be announced. She had been waiting longer than most, since her last name was early in the alphabet. It was damn near impossible for her to drag her eyes away from Severus Snape as he accepted his scroll, an unreadable expression on his face. He didn't even smile; merely nodded and murmured something to the headmaster – no doubt his thanks – and then returned to his seat. When he looked over her way, she swiftly turned her head.

She had given herself a pep talk before each test, determined to do her best. This was her last hope. If she hadn't done as well as she had desperately wanted, not only would she not be accepted into St. Mungo's as a trainee, but she would also never get his attention. He admired brains and talent. She needed to prove to him that she had them. She needed to prove to _herself_ that she had them, or else she would never feel worthy of him.

"And to gain all their NEWTs with either Outstanding or Exceeds Expectations," Dumbledore said, and Violet held her breath, feeling faint, "are…"

She barely noticed the names, until she heard her own. She looked up, jaw dropping, and could see a few nearby stare at her. No doubt they were surprised. She felt some small satisfaction in this. She felt even more satisfaction when, during the applause after the names were read out, she sneaked a look at Severus…

…and saw him smiling at her.

Maybe it wasn't time to give up on him yet.

* * *

**And please don't give up on me, dear readers! I am absolutely appalled that it has taken this long. Admittedly, part of this has been because I've bought a new laptop and only got around to installing Microsoft Office on it yesterday. Until then, I could only use WordPad to write, and certainly couldn't access my notes, or what I had written of this chapter so far. Well, I could have on another computer, but I didn't think of that, did I?**

**I hope that this chapter has sort of made up for that. I decided to do a jump forward in time, as anything in between might as well be padding.**

**In the next chapter, Severus and Violet finally have their date, and Sirius asks Hermione about her parentage. As it says in my notes, 'cue drama!'**


	20. The Date and the Question

"The Date and the Question"

When Violet opened the door of her small cottage, she was greeted with the sight of a bouquet of flowers, and someone clearly standing behind them.

"Severus?" she asked. He peeked around the side.

"Good evening," he said. "I bought these for you."

"Roses?" She was breathless as she accepted them. "They're beautiful."

"I asked Mia, and she informed me that red ones are your favourite."

"Do you want to come in? I won't be long. These just need some water."

"Of course," he said, and he followed her.

The house was immaculate. It was decorated in pale yellow and white, with dark wooden furniture arranged at precise angles. A bookshelf sagged under the weight of many medical textbooks and potions texts. He averted his attention to Violet. He knew nothing about fashion, of course, outside of the Hogwarts school uniform. She was in a black dress which fell halfway down her shins, tall shoes, and there was a large clip holding her hair up in a bun.

"You look lovely," he said. He immediately wanted to retract his words out of embarrassment, but when she smiled at him, blushing prettily, his regret disappeared.

"Thank you," she said. "It's nice to be out my usual Healer garb. I haven't worn this dress before, so I'm surprised it still fits. I bought it years ago. It's a bit out of fashion, I suppose."

"I am the last person who would know," he said. She picked up her handbag, and he held out his arm. "Shall we?"

* * *

Severus couldn't help feeling jealous every time someone looked at Violet appreciatively. He managed to glare them away and return to a straight face by the time she looked up at him, but it was still irritating. Did they have no sense of decency?

"I've told my friends that this is the last blind date I go on," he said. She quickly looked down and began to push her pasta around her plate. He realised his error. "Not that I'm not enjoying this. It's just that after tonight I wouldn't want to be set up with anyone again."

"We haven't been out long enough for things to go that badly," she said, her voice soft. She sounded hurt, and he inwardly cursed himself.

"I just mean that…"

"It's fine," she said, placing her napkin on the table beside her. "I understand, Severus."

"No, Violet," he said, suddenly grabbing her hand. Their gazes met. "Violet, please. I have never… I always wanted to… Damn." He sat back, but he kept hold of her. "All I meant was that they… they finally got it right." He ended on a mumble, and Violet had to lean forward.

"What was that?" she asked. He sighed.

"I do not wish to be with anyone else," he said, slowly meeting her eyes again. "They would pale by comparison."

"Oh." Her lips quavered upwards. "Thank you, Severus. No one has ever said anything so nice to me before."

"Then I am honoured to be the first. Tell me, do you read _Potions Weekly_?"

"Do I? Am I a mediwitch or not?"

They grinned at each other. Academia was normal. It was easy. Common ground.

* * *

"Shh!"

"Don't tell me to 'shh'! _You_ 'shh'!"

Lily, Annie, Hermione, and Narcissa were hiding in the bushes across the road, waiting for Violet and Severus to return.

"At least everything seems to be going well," Narcissa said. "Otherwise they would have come back by n… Shh!"

Before any of the others could start up again, they realised that the couple had just Apparated into the front yard. Hermione knew that her wards were strong and subtle, so they were unlikely to be discovered. It was perfect.

* * *

"I had a wonderful time tonight," Violet said. She knew that it was a clichéd line, but she meant it. "Thank you for taking me out, Severus."

"I wish I had asked you to Hogsmeade when we were at school."

She turned from her door. "Really?"

"I wanted to."

"I… I wanted you to."

He blinked several times before he was able to answer. "Indeed?"

"Yes."

"Oh, gods… I'm a perfect fool." He wiped a hand down his face. "All those years I fancied you, and I could have asked you out any time."

"Why didn't you?"

"I was afraid that you would reject me," he said.

"Reject you? No one ever noticed me. I didn't think that _you_ noticed me."

"Violet." He shook his head. "I've always noticed you."

"You really did fancy me while we were at school?"

"From third year, I believe, until sometime in our sixth year." Her face fell, so he tilted her chin up. "Then I fell for you. Violet, I am in _love_ with you."

A tear dropped. He smoothed it away, and moved to kiss her. He waited.

Then she raised her lips to his.

* * *

Under the protection of a Silencing Charm, four grown women cheered and danced around, making bets on the wedding date, before Disapparating in triumph to tell their respective husbands what had transpired.

None of them saw what happened next.

* * *

"Sirius?" Hermione called.

"In here."

She jumped when she heard his voice coming from the dining room. Undeterred, she hurried into the room, practically dancing on air.

"The date went so well," she said. "We left as soon as they started kissing, but it must have gone well. We could see them smiling from where we were across the street, and then they _kissed_, and now we're trying to work out when they'll get married."

"Uh-huh."

"It seems that we finally did it." She leant against the doorway. "This time will be the one. As soon as Voldemort is gone, we'll all have our happy endings."

"If no one dies."

She frowned. "Sirius, you mustn't say things like that. We need to think positively."

"Sorry, but I can't 'think positively' at the moment."

She studied him. There was no trace of happiness on his face, and he was staring into space, arms crossed. After years of knowing him, she could tell that he was angry about something, and wondered what had happened.

"What's wrong, Sirius?" she asked. Finally, he turned to look at her. His face was devoid of the affection it usually held for her, and she took a step back. "Sirius? Is something wrong with the children? What happened?"

"Hermione, when were you going to tell me who your father is?"

She felt like someone had punched her in the stomach. Did he mean what she thought he meant? He must have done. But how…?

"You heard?" she whispered.

"Did I hear you talking with your twin sister? Yes, I did."

_Oh my gods_, she thought.

* * *

**I'm updating this story as well. (As well as "Finding True Love", that is.) I'll try to continue to update regularly. The way I've plotted this fic, it ought to finish by chapter thirty, so there should only be ten more chapters at most.**

**Now do you want the posting to slow down, and draw it out more? *Snickers***

**Sorry. Please review!**


	21. Multiple Marriages and Multiple Memories

"Multiple Marriages and Multiple Memories"

Annie had a habit of flicking through books when she considered buying them. Remus knew his girlfriend's habits well.

Lily, Hermione, James and Sirius were planning to have a double wedding, an idea the girls came up with. It never happened in the wizarding world, so the Potters were interested in it, and Sirius was gleeful that he was going to be involved in something so… 'non-Pureblooded', as he put it. Hermione was offended at first, claiming that he was only marrying her because she wasn't a Pureblood, and he had a lot of apologising to do.

As it turned out, she was only teasing him, and he was disgruntled that she had gotten the better of him.

(Remus knew for a fact that he had bought handcuffs for punishment, and suspected that Hermione knew as well. It would explain the extra twinkle in her eye.)

"What do you think of this one?" he asked, passing a book to Annie. He and Peter were co-best men, just as Annie and Narcissa were maids of honour. Narcissa was going to be disguised as Hermione's non-existent cousin, and Lucius and Severus were also going to be in disguise. Due to their new 'affiliation' – false as it was – they couldn't risk being seen as themselves.

As one of the best men, Remus needed to write a speech, as Peter was too scared to speak in public. So he and Annie were searching Flourish and Blotts for books on wedding speeches. He held one out.

"This'd better be the one," she muttered. "I don't know why you're so picky about… this…"

Her jaw dropped as she stared at the note inside. Remus had slipped it in while she wasn't looking, and the pages fell open there.

_Will you marry me?_

There were tears in Annie's eyes as she pulled it out. She once said that she couldn't stand a showy proposal, and it would have been very out of character for him. He had already booked a time at a registry office, just in case she said…

"Yes," she said, and she looked up. He grinned as she threw her arms around him.

"You really want a poor werewolf?" he asked.

"I wouldn't want anyone else."

* * *

Hermione was breathless. She never believed in finding the perfect dress, no matter how nice they might be, and had seen some truly horrendous wedding dresses before.

But this… this was fast changing her opinion.

"You look spectacular," Lily said. Madame Malkin was wiping away a tear.

"I do love fitting a bride for her wedding," she said. "And two at the same time! This has truly made my day."

"Oh, wow," Annie said as soon as she stepped inside. "Hermione, don't try on any others. That one is just… _you_."

"Thank you," she said, finally able to speak. "I can't believe it. I look… I kind of look beautiful, don't I? Or is that too vain?"

The all hurried to reassure her. She stepped out of the matching shoes, and Madame Malkin boxed them up while she went behind a curtain to get changed. This was definitely a keeper.

"Now to find something which will knock James's socks off," Lily said. "Can you work your magic on me, Madame Malkin?" She and Hermione giggled; the others looked confused by the Muggle expression.

"Yes, dear," Madame Malkin said, hesitant. She waited until Hermione had finished and completed that transaction while Lily looked through the book, trying to work out the kind of thing she wanted. She was determined to find something as equally as wonderful.

Nobody noticed the discreet ring on Annie's left hand.

* * *

Lucius and Narcissa had been separated until the wedding. They could still owl each other, as long as it was through one of their friends – in this case, Severus – and done so that no one else knew about it. It went against tradition.

Fortunately, wedding preparations had been in the works for months, so it was merely a matter of weeks.

_Un_fortunately, due to their new 'allegiance', none of the Marauders, or their fiancées, were invited.

Narcissa had been tearful when she discovered this, although she waited until she was in private. Her Gryffindors friends understood this, yet she still declared it unfair that she could attend theirs, but that wards would be in place to ensure that the Malfoy-Black wedding was not crashed by 'undesirable people'. However, she and Lucius promised to send Pensieve memories to them, so that they could at least pretend that they were there.

Little did their friends know that they had so much more in mind.

* * *

Lord Voldemort read the papers, just like anybody else. Every single word could be important, even the births, deaths, and marriages.

The upcoming wedding between two of his Death Eaters was prominent, so much so that it would undoubtedly be front page news when it actually happened. The Blacks and the Malfoys were two of the most powerful families in wizarding Britain. Any alliance between them was a cause for great celebration.

Any alliance between a Pureblood and a Muggleborn, however, was always cause for consternation among his Death Eaters. One Black was marrying well; the other one, Walburga's eldest son, was disgracing the family. Abraxas was leaning on _The Daily Prophet_ to ensure that the double wedding – a thing of even greater shock – was only briefly mentioned on the day.

Voldemort made sure that he was alone before he sighed. He wished that he knew what had happened to his daughters. While he had no emotions even closely resembling tenderness, it would have been… nice to lead them up the aisle at their own weddings. No more than nice, of course. But the image of being a family man would have helped his cause.

This was no time for regrets. He had more important things to be concerned about.

* * *

"Are you sure you haven't got a date for the wedding, Pete?" James asked, attempting to straighten his dress robes. He turned around. "Peter?"

"I'm sure, Prongs. I'd remember if I had."

Remus was smiling as he leaned against the window of the tailor's shop. He'd never wanted an extravagant wedding, and was quite content to marry Annie in a registry office as soon as possible. It would be just as binding as a big event like this, and would be more intimate. Besides, he would hate to have her get caught up in the rush of planning, and have time to back out. He would never have another shot at this, he was sure. No one else could ever care about him enough to ignore his furry little problem.

"You and Annie should get married," Sirius said, nudging him. "Come on. Help me with these shoes, would you? Thank Merlin we've only got to wear them once!"

* * *

Mr. Evans escorted both his daughter and Hermione down the aisle, one on each arm. Narcissa followed, her hair Glamoured to look brown and wavy, and her eyes a deep brown. Even her bone structure had been disguised, and she was wearing higher shoes than normal. But, beautiful as she still was, she had nothing on the brides.

Lily's dress was long and form-fitting, almost oriental, with short sleeves and satiny trim. There was embroidery cascading down her waist several inches, of fine golden thread and small golden beads. On closer examination, the flowers at the end of each vine were a different kind of lily.

Hermione's dress went to her ankles, but the skirt was layer upon layer of lace so fine that it looked spider-spun. The bodice was plain, with a dipping neckline that perfectly framed the crystal locket Sirius had given her for graduation. Like Lily, she had decided against a veil.

The grooms were still slack-jawed as their brides joined them. They both had to be poked by their best men.

"So I look okay then?" Hermione whispered. Sirius could only nod.

"It's not too little? Not too much?" Lily asked. James shook his head emphatically, also speechless.

"Shall we proceed?"

"Yes," the four said.

* * *

Things seemed to fly after that. Remus and Annie were embarrassed when she caught the bouquet, but maintained straight faces as they saw the newlyweds off. A few days later they married in secret, with Peter as their only witness. He was flattered to be asked, but admitted to feeling guilty.

"O-only because the others should've been here, too," he said hurriedly. They reassured him that they needed no one else.

Lucius and Narcissa were both solemn on the day of their wedding. The excitement of finally marrying each other was marred by their friends' absence. Sirius and Hermione got back from Italy a few days before James and Lily returned from France, and they were surprised to find that not one, but _two_ weddings had taken place while they were away.

* * *

The night after the Malfoy-Black union, a number of Pensieve memories were dispatched to their friends.

"Sirius, look!" Hermione called. She found her husband in the kitchen, attempting to boil water. "It's the wedding, just like Cissa and Lucius promised."

"Let's watch it now," he said, leaving the oven.

"Turn it off first, dear."

"Oh. Right." He turned the dial back to the '0' position, and then joined Hermione at the dining table. She poured the memory into their Pensieve while Sirius read the note.

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Black,_

_We wish you could have been there on the day. However, you might notice a little something we put together in the memory, just for you. We are sure you will work out what to do with it._

_Love,_

_Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy._

"What do you think they mean?" Sirius asked. Hermione shrugged, smiled, and then dived into the Pensieve. He tumbled in after her.

There really _was_ no other word for the occasion: extravagant. The multitude of guests; the tables groaning under the weight of expensive food and expensive presents; the garlands of flowers everywhere.

They turned when the bridal music began. Despite the fact that they were in a memory, they still moved out of the way.

Narcissa's wedding gown had a very long train, and her sister Bellatrix had to follow at a distance to avoid tripping over it. There was a lot of lace on the gown, although it was still tasteful, despite the lack of simplicity.

"Your dress was better," Sirius said. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I think Lucius would disagree with you there," she said, and she pointed at Lucius who was, indeed, spellbound.

Sirius lost interest partway through the vows, which were much longer than theirs had been. He ignored Hermione's tears as he poked her in the side.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to listen."

"We can watch it again later," he said, waving his hand. "Check out who's at the back there."

"Not Voldemort!" she exclaimed, craning her neck.

"Of course not. Don't you see?"

There were seven guests standing at the back, virtually unnoticed, but very familiar.

"I can't believe it," she said. "It's… it's us."

Somehow, Lucius and Narcissa – perhaps both – had managed to adjust the memory so that they could include their friends. Even at the reception, Hermione and Sirius watched as they danced with each other and with their friends. All these moments which had never happened…

"I get it," she said as soon as they had left the Pensieve. She picked up the vial which had contained the memory. "If we each keep a copy, we can store them in our minds so that it will be as though we were really there."

"How? We wouldn't have enough memory for two things which happened at the same time."

Hermione looked down, her foot scuffing the carpet. "When I was thirteen, then fourteen, I used a Time-Turner. I lived a number of hours twice, sometimes more. I remember everything from those times. Believe me, the brain capacity is there."

"Wicked."

So that is what they did.

* * *

**Sorry. I came back to edit this and realised that it hadn't ended properly. Now it's time for the posting! I hope you enjoy this. Writing during class time really does work, folks!**


	22. Explanations, Reactions, & a Confession

"Explanations, Reactions, and a Confession"

Sirius sat across from Hermione at the dining room table. Ever since he had overheard her telling Violet that Voldemort was their father he had been furious that she had kept something so important from him, and worried that they might change sides. And what about their children?

"What about the children?" he said aloud. She looked up at him.

"What about them?" she asked.

"What do you mean, 'what about them'? Will you tell them they're Voldemort's darling _grandchildren_?"

"Sirius, don't," she pleaded, leaning forward. "You have to understand…"

"Understand what, Mia? Is that even your real name?"

"Of course it is!"

"So what, are you really Hermione _Riddle_?"

"No!" She tried to grab his hands, but he pulled away. "Sirius, I am Hermione Black. That is who I am, even before I was born… born 'again'. I am your wife, first and foremost, and no one can take that away from me."

"Except me."

Her jaw dropped. He felt some satisfaction in hurting her. Even the tears now at the corners of her eyes didn't thaw his icy cold anger.

"You lied to me, Hermione," he said. She shook her head. "You never told me that _he_ was your father."

"Sirius…"

"How long have you known?"

"Please…"

"How long, Mia?"

"Years!" She buried her face in her hands. "Before we left school. Violet and I… we're the only living descendents of all four of Hogwarts' Founders. Our mother's ancestors included Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw, and our father… well, you know about him. Although I suppose our children are also descendents, aren't they? Yes. It was the only way I was able to find the other Hogwarts castle. And I had access to many books no longer in the library. Somehow I was taken forward in time, and when Ron tried to rape me, the trauma caused Hogwarts to take me back to where I belonged… with _you_, Sirius. I belong with you." He didn't speak. "Don't I?"

"I don't know," he said. The tears now spilled onto her cheeks. "You're the daughter – one of the daughters – of our number one enemy, Hermione. Our godson, _also_ your best friend, is supposed to kill your father, or be killed by him."

"Which is why I didn't want to tell anyone," she said, wiping her eyes. "Don't do this, Sirius. Please. I love you. That can _never_ change."

"So what do you plan to tell our children?"

"Tell them?" She licked her lips. "I don't know." He rolled his eyes, and began to stand. "I don't even know the whole story, Sirius! And we can't risk You-Know-Who finding out. We can't risk _anyone_ finding out. Not yet, if ever."

"There's a significant conflict of interest, Hermione."

She snorted. "What 'conflict of interest'? He isn't my dad. Just my father. The Grangers raised me. They're my real parents; just not my biological parents. Blood doesn't count for much – look at you and your brother! I only told Violet because I wanted to get to know my sister, and she at least deserves to know the truth."

"But I don't."

"Not if you're going to behave like this," she said, indignation halting her teardrops. "I knew that you would react badly if I told you, which is why I didn't intend to. I didn't even plan to tell the children, ever. Why should they have to know? Sirius, this isn't my fault. Would you trade the past and present as they are for what might have been, had you known at the time?" Sirius hung his head. "This is ridiculous. Fine." She stood. "If you're going to remain this petty, I shall return to the castle. The others don't know how to find it, although it's clear that you will never take me back. And, to be honest, I don't know whether I'd want to return."

As Hermione walked to the door, Sirius remembered that she would still have a number of things there, and could live rather easily without him. If she would indeed be near Hogwarts, she could visit her friends and the children on Hogsmeade weekends, and in fact go to the village whenever she wanted. From what he understood she could carry on quite happily…

And the only thing missing would be him. Just as he would miss her.

The crack of Apparation showed that his revelation had come too late.

* * *

Violet and Severus had spent the night together. Not in bed, of course. Instead, they had retreated to the living room, sat on the couch, and talked for hours. Eventually she fell asleep with her head on his shoulder, her legs tucked beside her, and he followed her example.

It would be hell at work, as both had jobs which involved a lot of standing, walking around, and sometimes even running. They were also involved with potions in some capacity. Just as long as they didn't nod off mid-class or mid-Healing, Severus and Violet would be fine.

"I'll Floo-call you tonight," she said. "I-if that's all right with you."

"It's brilliant," he said, feeling like a giddy teenager. "Unless you want me to call you."

"No, no! You have a set timetable at least. Merlin only knows when I'll be available for a chat. Any sort of emergency could crop up."

"I love you," he whispered, and he kissed her.

* * *

Sirius owled Violet during the day. After a night of guilty tossing and turning, and wondering if his wife was going through the same thing, he came to the conclusion that he needed to get to her.

Unfortunately, Lily confirmed that none of them could actually get to the castle without Hermione, and immediately forgot how to find it as soon as they were through the wards the Founders had erected centuries ago. He couldn't pull his children out of class, which left one person, and one person only, who could help him.

She gave him fifteen minutes during her lunch break, and soon found the original Hogwarts building for him, before returning to St. Mungo's. She barely said anything to him, although he suspected that – had Hermione told her twin what happened – Violet would have outright refused to help him. He deduced that she was probably having trouble coming to terms with the revelation, and could empathise.

That didn't stop him from missing his wife like crazy. He'd been years without her, and it was their first night apart since their reunion. Also, with that stomach bug she'd had lately she shouldn't have been alone, at least not in the morning when it was the worst.

He stepped through the wards and was immediately impressed. It was nowhere near as large as Hogwarts – it was, after all, supposed to house just the womenfolk – but it was still a huge place, almost a palace. The gardens looked a little the worse for wear.

Merely wishing to find out where she was, he cast Homenum Revelio.

Nothing. He was the only one there.

Now panicking, he wrenched open the large, wooden door to the front hall, shouting Hermione's name, her nickname, all his endearments for her, running from room to room. Once he had established that the spell hadn't been wrong, that she really wasn't there, he did the only thing he could do.

He headed for the school.

* * *

"I need to know, Headmaster," Hermione said, scrunching a tissue in her lap. She wasn't crying. She merely needed to know that it was there.

"What is it you need to know, Mrs. Black?" Dumbledore asked.

"The child I saw in that memory, all those years ago. Was it… was it me?"

"You?"

"Yes, me!" She sighed. "I wish I had told Sirius sooner, but I was too much of a coward. I didn't want to know how he would react, in case it was as bad as my imagination made it out to be. I think it was worse."

"We Gryffindors tend to overreact," he said, pushing forward a bowl of sweets. She shook her head.

"Many years ago, when I was a student here – in the seventies, I mean – I found out that I'm Lord Voldemort's daughter."

"_You_ are?"

"Don't act surprised, professor," she snapped. "Surely you worked it out. I may have been disguised – by you, I am certain of it – but how else could I have gone twenty years back in time if I did not belong there originally? There is no other explanation for it. And… and I also remembered some things." She held up her hands. "I know it's a long shot, but who else could have done all this? You are the most powerful wizard of our time, or so everyone says. It _must_ have been you. What I want to know is _why_."

It was Dumbledore's turn to sigh.

"Hermione, it was so long ago. Almost forty years has passed since that day. I hoped to get at Voldemort the surest way that I could, and kidnapping his children…"

"Was barbaric!"

"Was for the Greater Good," he corrected. She scowled. "Mrs. Black, don't you agree that you had a happier childhood? You are so talented. Had you been raised by him, he might have won. He _would_ have won. Surely you agree that it turned out for the best?"

Hermione couldn't deny it, and bit her lower lip, _hard_. Even when she tasted blood, she kept holding on until she could get herself under control.

"That aside, it was still morally corrupt. What about our mother?"

"Ah, yes. She never should have married him. Did you know that she was undertaking a library apprenticeship here while she was pregnant with you and your sister? I offered her the position because I knew it would appeal to her – you take after her with your love of books – although it was nearly impossible to keep an eye on Voldemort through her. She must have known why I invited her to work at the school. After I rejected Tom's job application they both left, and I saw neither of them again for some time."

"You really are a world class manipulator, aren't you?"

"I gather that is not a compliment." She shot to her feet.

"It most certainly is not," she said. "My marriage is destroyed, my sister doesn't want to know me, and my two best friends from childhood… one is in Azkaban, and the other either has to die or kill for this war to end, and the person on the other end of the wand must be my father. You believe that this life is better than it could have been had you left well alone? Does it not occur to you that having a family might have stopped my father from becoming so Dark?"

"He was beyond my help by then," Dumbledore said, but Hermione turned away.

"I shall see myself out, _Headmaster_," she said, and she strode out of the room…

Only to bump into her husband in the hallway.

* * *

**Just want to check on my readers in Indiana, and anywhere else suffering from bad weather and/or military problems.**

**By the way, I've recently kind of fallen in love with "Red Dwarf", and have been reading and plotting a lot of fan fiction. I've even written a couple of stories, but before I start posting I'd like to know if anyone would read through them first. I'd ask a Beta, but I'd rather try them on for size with someone who's read my stuff before, partly because you matter so much more to me.**

**So… any fans of Lister/Rimmer? *Wiggles eyebrows***


	23. The Prophecy and the Arrangement

"The Prophecy and the Arrangement"

Severus Snape was determined not to get too drunk. It had been hard keeping away from St. Mungo's at first; but the possibility that he could return was always there. Now that he was teaching at Hogwarts, temptation was too far away. Somehow, that made it harder. At least giving into temptation would have been some small relief, like taking a Cheering Potion to alleviate depression. It was a cheat, and potentially addictive, but oh so good.

Violet looked like she could be addictive.

So here he was, feeling sorry for himself. He had been more of a git than usual towards the students today, but he felt no sympathy for him. When he was their age – though not that long ago – he'd had meal times and study in the library to look forward to. Now, there was no way he could see Violet, not even accidentally bump into her.

He sighed, and wondered whether he should get a room for the night. If he became any more intoxicated he would be staggering the halls of Hogwarts, and that would be bad, to say the least.

After another Firewhiskey, he decided that a room was definitely in order. Aberforth gave him a key, and Severus climbed the stairs, feeling older than his years.

Outside one of the rooms, he paused. That sounded like the Headmaster.

"…suitable for the post. However, it has been a pleasure meeting you, Miss Trelawney…"

"_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches_."

Severus froze, and bent to the keyhole. Dumbledore had stopped speaking, and was listening as well.

"_Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…_"

He was interrupted by footsteps on the stairs, and stood up straight as Aberforth reached the top. He frowned.

"What are you doing?" he asked sharply.

"Which room is mine?" Severus replied, arching an eyebrow. Aberforth pointed. "Ah. Thank you."

"You weren't _spying_?"

"Of course not. Good night, Mr. Dumbledore."

* * *

An owl swept in through the open window of the room which would one day provide refuge for Buckbeak. Hermione was busy cleaning, and frowned mildly when the bird skidded across a table, leaving marks on the varnished surface.

"Just for that you'll get no treats," she muttered, removing the letter. She got her hands out of the way just in time to avoid getting pecked.. "Do you want me to set the children on you?" It shook its head. "Good. What does Severus have to say?" She ripped open the envelope, removed the letter, and perused its contents.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Have you ever heard a prophecy before? I was at the Hog's Head last night and the headmaster was interviewing someone for the post of Divination professor. I was under the impression that he was dispensing with that useless subject, but he has hired her._

_The reason I ask is that when I first heard her talk, it was with a strange voice, and she was speaking utter nonsense. However, now she is due to start work at Hogwarts next term, which makes me wonder whether she made a true prophecy. It was something about a child born in the seventh month…_

"Oh my," Hermione murmured, plopping into a chair. She could vaguely hear the sounds of Sirius playing with Trevor and John in the nursery.

She ran her hand shakily through her hair, staring at the words but not really taking them in. Voldemort had to find out about it, and Severus had to tell him. But how could she convince him that this was a good idea? How could she convince _anyone_ that this was a good idea? And how long would they have to wait before the Potters had to go into hiding? What about Peter?

One thing became clearer in her mind, the more she thought about it. She had to confide in Dumbledore.

She had to tell him… everything.

* * *

"What a pleasant surprise, Mrs. Black," Professor Dumbledore said, indicating the seat opposite his desk. "Cockroach Cluster? If I recall correctly, you like them dipped in strawberry sauce."

She made a face. "Only when I was pregnant with the twins. Thank you for the thought."

"How are they?"

"Unfortunately, I hold a firm belief that they will end up like their father," she said. "Should I tell Minerva now?"

"They may not be Sorted into Gryffindor."

"In that case, perhaps I should warn all the professors."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Not necessary, my dear. All children appear that way when they are young. Under your guidance, I have every confidence that they will grow up to be fine young men."

"Thank you, headmaster."

"Why did you wish to see me, my dear?"

"I have a confession to make." She steeled herself. "My name is not, as it turns out, Hermione Granger. I am instead… Hermione Riddle." She said it very quickly, but he caught it nonetheless.

"Riddle? You mean…"

"When I was a student here, I discovered a room with a trunk, a room that only I could access. In the trunk I found pictures of Tom Riddle and his wife, and their baby twin girls. That must be why I gave birth to twins. It is genetic." She wrapped some of the material of her robes around her fingers. "There were other things as well. I took the trunk with me when I left, but all the evidence pointed to the fact that I am Hermione Riddle. I've recalled memories. I've even discovered that there are Glamours on me, intricate, long-term ones. From what I've learned, it looks as though they will return seconds after they are removed, which is just as well."

"Really?"

"You don't believe me? Watch."

With that, she cast a counter-charm on the Glamours, and briefly her true features were revealed. They were not too different, but enough like her father to show that she was, indeed, Tom Riddle's daughter. Soon after, the Glamours settled back into place. She looked frustrated.

"I cannot do anything about it," she said. "But there is more. Do you remember when I told you that one of my best friends attempted to rape me?" Dumbledore nodded slowly. "It seems that the castle – in my time – used my extreme, negative emotions to bring me back to my rightful time. So… I actually travelled back in time by approximately twenty years."

"Twenty years," he whispered. "That long?"

"Yes. No known Time-Turner could manage that."

"Indeed, my dear." He sat back. "Thank you for telling me this. You are a brave young woman. Do you know who your twin is?"

"You seem… very accepting of this, Professor," Hermione said, studying his face.

"I taught you Legillimancy," he reminded her. "I would know whether you were lying or not, and this would explain a great deal."

"As it is, sir, I know what must happen. Did you know that you were overheard when you interviewed Sybil Trelawney?"

"Aberforth informed me by owl. Severus told you what he heard?"

"Yes, sir. The prophecy… well, it could refer to two different boys, perhaps more, but Voldemort – my father – will choose Harry. Harry Potter."

"James and Lily are having a boy?"

"They are. He will be one of my best friends one day. I cannot tell you much about the future, especially as I am here to save it."

"You wish to save the future?" he asked, eyes twinkling again.

"Sir, my intention is to save the future by changing the past, or what I know as the past. Sometime – I don't know when – Peter is going to betray Lily and James. For my plans to work, events need to play out as they did in my time. Lily and James must die, Harry must be left with Petunia and her family, Sirius must be thrown into Azkaban… and so it goes."

"My dear!"

"Sir, that it what happened. But bear with me. I know what I'm doing. I… I have to know what I'm doing if I'm to save as many people as possible. You see, I intend to fake James and Lily's death. In fact, my ultimate plan is so much greater than any of this, but I cannot do anything about it for years. If I want to succeed, everything must go according to plan."

"My head is spinning, Mrs. Black. You have utterly confounded me." He laughed weakly. "Few have managed to do so."

"I'm flattered." She shook herself. "The point is, to go after Harry, my father needs to know what Severus heard of the prophecy. Not the whole prophecy – just that bit. But I need you to help me convince Severus that this is a good thing, so that we can send the Potters into hiding, with me as the Secret Keeper, pretend that Peter is the Secret Keeper and feed him false information, and… let me think. Yes, then I am planning to use Doppelgangers of Harry's parents to fool Voldemort. As long as Lily's DNA is in her Doppelganger, it ought to provide the right blood protection over Harry." She bit her lower lip before continuing. "At least, that's the theory. It cannot be tested beforehand."

"Hermione, the risks you are taking are enormous," Dumbledore said, leaning across the desk. "It is noble, but incredibly foolhardy."

"Like Severus, Lucius and Narcissa becoming spies for you? How is that any less so?"

"Your risks are on a grander scale."

"The greatest the risk, the greater the reward." He still looked unconvinced. "Sir, trust me. As long as it appears to be what I once knew, then the moment my father is truly defeated I can put into action my real plan."

"What plan is this?"

"Sorry, Professor, but I wouldn't even tell the Archbishop of Canterbury."

* * *

"Peter Pettigrew, is it not?"

"Y-y-yes…"

"The Potters' Secret Keeper. Is that not so?"

"It is," he squeaked. Voldemort smiled.

"You know where they are hiding," he said, waving his wand in front of Peter. "I wish to know their location. Did you know that if you wish hard enough, your wishes can come true? Did you know that, Peter?"

He looked about ready to faint. He even tottered in place, and the surrounding Death Eaters laughed.

"You will become one of mine," Voldemort continued, "and you will tell me where the Potters are hiding."

"N-never."

There was more laughter, but he stood with his back straight, even as the Dark Lord approached him.

"If you tell me, you will be rewarded well," he said. "Would you like to know how you would be rewarded?" Only Peter's eyes moved, watching the tip of the wand as it rested on his nose. "With your life." Voldemort chuckled lowly. "If you tell me all you know, I will not kill you. Does that sound like a deal? Hmm?" Peter kept very still. "Perhaps a taste of what will happen if you do not comply. Crucio!"

He fell to the ground under the power of immense pain, screaming as he clutched his stomach, in so much agony that he felt like he would be sick. After hours – in reality, barely a minute – Voldemort ended the spell.

"Do we have a deal?"

"Yes," Peter wheezed. "Yes, my lord."

* * *

**Do we feel any sympathy for him? Probably not. But this is how I imagined it would go. After all, Voldemort wouldn't be stupid enough to approach him while Peter was at school (under Dumbledore's nose), so it's not as though he could have been corrupted while there. He would only have been a person of interest after he became the Potters' Secret Keeper.**

**Going over previous chapters, I've realised that the trunk hasn't been mentioned much at all, despite the fact that it was this lovely, mysterious object. So it shall have to be factored in at some point.**

**As I have it in my notes, Hermione's Grand Design will be revealed in chapter 29, and brought to fruition in chapter 30, which will be the last chapter. Only seven to go until the end! Huzzah!**


	24. Pregnancy and Parentage

"Pregnancy and Parentage"

It was hard knowing that their youngest son was in Azkaban, and for such a terrible crime. How could Ronald attempt to rape one of his best friends, the girl he was supposed to be in love with?

"Where did I go wrong?" Molly asked, staring at the ceiling of the Burrow. Arthur was holding her hand as they lay in bed. It was another of those sleepless nights. They had begun after they received the news about Hermione's disappearance and the cause, and even after she came back Molly still had trouble getting to sleep.

"It wasn't your fault," Arthur said. "You didn't tell him to attack her. And just because no enchantments were found on him, it doesn't mean that a Death Eater wasn't controlling him somehow."

"But I must have done _something_," she said, turning to him. "Oh, Arthur. Our youngest in prison… people talking about us… and Lucius Malfoy has been merciless in making trouble for you at work."

"Well, there's nothing different there," he replied, smiling half-heartedly. "Don't worry, Molls. Hermione has said that she'll try to find out what might have made Ron try to… hurt her like that. If anyone can do it, she can."

"She's such a good girl." Molly wiped away a tear. "I wish she could have married one of our boys."

"Well, she's always been another daughter to us," he said. "The only difference is that she's now… older."

"Yes." She nodded quickly, swiping any remaining tears from her cheeks. "Yes, you're quite right. Good night, Arthur."

"Good night, Molly." They kissed each other, and then settled in for a restless sleep.

* * *

"Remus!"

"What is it, Annie?" he asked, poking his head around the doorway as his wife hurried down the hall. She skidded to a stop in front of him.

"You'll never guess," she said.

"You're not pregnant, are you?" he said jokingly. As Annie's smile faltered, his own died away. "You're _not_, are you, Annie?"

"Well… yes." She rocked on her feet. "Bear in mind that it's half your fault."

"You were away all this time," he said, lifting his hands to her waist. "Of course I want to be with you as much as I can. I suppose we should have been taking more precautions." He had the grace to look guilty.

"It's done now," she said, and she moved into his arms. "You're not angry?"

"That you're giving me another child? Absolutely not."

* * *

After Hermione had run into Sirius in the hallway outside the headmaster's office, she had tried to brush past him, not wanting to start another argument. He had grabbed her arm, and refused to let go until they could talk. Suggesting somewhere private, she had wearily led him back to the hideout, and sat across from each other in the staff lounge room.

The conversation had begun on an awkward note.

"Why are you here?" she had asked.

"I'm sorry, Mia. I shouldn't have shouted at you." He had looked at his hands, red in the face. "I love you. I…" He had let out a shuddering breath. "I sort of understand why you didn't want to tell me, especially now that you were proven right. But I still wish you _had_ told me, years ago."

"We might never have married." She had looked so sad – tears even forming – that he had leapt across to kneel in front of her, and pulled her into his arms.

"We would have," he had said. "`Cause I would've realised what I realised only after you left me." His lips caressed the skin of her throat. "I'll never let you go, no matter who your parents were, or are."

"Oh, Sirius." She had thrown her arms around his shoulders, and they kissed, cuddled, and generally made up, before finally going home.

Now in bed together, with Sirius tracing patterns on her right thigh, Hermione sighed.

"I have something to tell you," she said. "I just hope you'll be all right with it."

"What is it? You know I'll never abandon you again. If I can survive finding out… you know," she nodded, "then I can survive anything else you throw at me. Except perhaps a Stinging Hex to the groin." He chuckled. Her answering laugh was weak.

"Yes," she said. "Uh… I found out from Madame Pomfrey that… that I'm pregnant."

Sirius stared at her for awhile, before turning onto his back.

"James and Lily are bad enough," he said. "Now we're popping them out like rabbits. Must be something in the water." He turned his head, and saw Hermione's lower lip trembling. His eyes widened. "I was just kidding, Mia! You're really up the duff?"

The lip-trembling ceased, and her eyes narrowed. "Yes," she said through clenched teeth. "I am 'up the duff'. I also 'have a bun in the oven'. I'm 'knocked up'. Any other vulgar euphemisms you wish to use to describe my state?"

"Uh… no?"

"That's better," she said, crossing her arms. "It had better not be as big as Trevor was when he was born."

"You'll be fine," Sirius said, and he leaned over and kissed her. "What are you doing about Ron? I heard you tell the Weasleys that you want to help."

"It's just so out of character for him to try something like that," she said. "Well, not to try it on; but to attempt to rape me?" Sirius slipped his arms around her, and gently dragged her close. "I'm sure that something must be wrong. And if it isn't…" She looked down. "Then there's nothing more anyone can do, is there?"

* * *

The next time Violet spoke to Severus was when they met at Hogsmeade after school was finished for the day, and while she had a break from work.

"You look lovely," he said, stroking the palm of her left hand. "There is something on your mind, though. Please tell me, if you believe that I can help."

"I don't know whether I _should_ tell you, but it caused problems with Hermione and her husband when she didn't tell him when she should have." She fidgeted in her seat, and didn't make eye contact with him. "So I should tell you, shouldn't I?"

"Only if you wish to," he said. "There are problems between them?"

"I'm…" She paused, and then blurted it out. "I'm You-Know-Who's daughter." She took a breath. "Hermione's my sister. We're really twins, and we were separated. She was sent forward in time, and Hogwarts brought her back. Our parents were You-Know-Who and his wife, Amalea Featherheart." She breathed slowly. "She told me this the other day, and I still can't believe it." Finally, she looked at Severus. He was gaping – or at least as much as Severus Snape ever gaped – and he seemed unable to speak. She pulled her hand away, and grabbed her handbag. "I… I have to go. Good-bye, Severus."

As soon as she was outside the Three Broomsticks, she Disapparated. Barely seconds after she entered her flat, she slammed the door closed as she leaned on it, and burst into tears. She had finally gotten what she had always dreamed about, ever since she fell in love with him, and she had lost it all with one stupid confession. His silence and his expression had been enough to tell her that it was all over. How could it not be?

There was an owl waiting for her, and it stayed after she removed the missive from its leg, clearly awaiting a reply. She scowled as she read the letter.

_Dear Violet,_

_You're going to be an aunt for the fourth time! I hope we can talk again soon._

_Love,_

_Hermione._

Violet tore up the letter as she walked to her writing desk. She sat down, extracted a piece of parchment from the top drawer, and penned a response.

_Mrs. Black,_

_Do not contact me ever again._

_V Cumbersnout._

* * *

Hermione stared at the reply, worrying over what it meant. Had something happened to her recently, or was she still angry?

Well, she didn't have time to think about this now. She and Annie had written to each other at the same time, their owls no doubt crossing mid-air, and they were already planning a joint baby shower.

And with Sirius back to loving her again – not that he had ever really stopped – things were starting to look up. So she placed this strange letter to the side, resolving to look into the matter at a later date.

* * *

**Sorry, sorry, sorry! I had lots of assessment for Tafe, and then I've been writing my own novel, so I haven't been working on my fan fiction. I'll try to get more of this done during the first weeks after the holidays, when we (hopefully) won't have stuff to do. But rest assured that I never abandon a fan fiction once I've started to post it. That's just something I refuse to do. I hate it when other writers do it; it would be hypocritical of me to do the same.**

**So… toodle-pip! And I hope that this chapter made up for the wait, even just a little bit.**


	25. Tears, Death and More Tears

"Tears, Death and More Tears"

"Just a little bit further," Hermione said, leading Trevor and John by the hands, Anne strapped to her front. James was carrying Bill, who was just getting over a cold, and Lily and Annie had their arms linked. Each were carrying a bag with an undetectable extension charm. Ever since Hermione had revealed part of her plans to them, they had started buying enough things to last for however long they needed, including ingredients for Polyjuice Potion.

"What is this place, Mia?" James asked.

"Our new home," she said. "Trevor, honey, Mummy needs her hand back. Just for a minute, okay?" He let go, and clutched her leg for support as she drew her wand. "Thank you."

Seconds later, a large castle-like structure appeared before them. Anne struggled awake, cuddled against her mother's chest. Everyone else just stared at the imposing stone building. Hermione took Trevor's hand, and began to pull her two toddling sons towards the open gates.

"I… I say again," James said, as the other three grown-ups followed. "What _is_ this place?"

Hermione shrugged. "It used to be where the female students and staff lived, before Hogwarts was expanded and the rooms fixed so that the male students couldn't sneak into the female students' dormitories."

"I s'pose you read about it in _Hogwarts: a History_," Annie said, laughing weakly as they entered the grounds.

"Something like that."

"Mummy, I want to go home," John whined, tugging on Hermione's left hand. She swallowed.

"Wait until we get inside, okay?" she said.

"Where's Daddy? Is he going to be here?" Bill asked, raising his head to look at Annie.

"I don't know, sweetheart. Aunty Mia will tell us," she replied. "Won't you, Hermione?" Her voice sounded tight.

"Of course," Hermione said.

She led them to the staff room, since it was the most comfortable, and was nearby. Once there, she settled Anne on her lap, and the others sat around, John and Trevor on the floor at her feet. She lit the fire from where she sat.

"I have a very long story to tell you," she said. "It might take you a long time to understand, but one day everything will be all right. It started when I was attacked at Hogwarts, by a boy I used to consider a best friend…"

With all their interjections, it took a couple of hours to tell them the whole story, from when Ron 'attacked' her (she refused to explain the concept of her rape to her children just yet), through her years at Hogwarts, and through what she knew would happen right up until she disappeared.

"…and everything needs to play out as though we all really did die," she finished. "Otherwise I will never have gone back through time, and I shudder to think what might happen if I don't fulfil this… this prophecy."

"But if what you're saying is true, we won't see Remus or Sirius for one and a half _decades_," Annie said, horrified. "The children won't know their fathers, Harry will be left with his awful relatives, and so many people will die—"

"We don't have a choice, Annie!" Hermione quietened down when Anne began to fuss in her arms. "If we don't do this – if I don't go back in time – do you know what will happen? Things won't automatically rewrite themselves so that everyone gets a happy ending, you know. As soon as I get to the day I'm supposed to go back in time, who knows what might happen? If Ron was never born because of any changes, then I won't even be able to put him under the Imperius Curse and force him to hurt me. I'm not willing to take that risk."

"You would use the Imperius Curse on him?" James asked, his eyes wide. "But that's… that's…"

"I'm well aware that it's illegal, James," she snapped. "Don't you think I've spent enough time going through all the possibilities?" She sighed. "If you're so worried about Harry, don't. I have plans. I intend to start feeding him memories from his childhood – even if it's a false childhood – after my disappearance. And we won't be missed." She let out a shuddering breath. "I will cast a spell which will alter everyone's memories so that I never existed – the children, too – and that Annie and Remus never got married. We will remember everything, of course; but they won't until after the attack. Nothing was ever mentioned to me, which means that they must have forgotten."

Annie choked on a sob, and Lily held her close. Hermione sighed. It would take at least another half hour, maybe more, to convince them that she was right. Merlin knows she had spent enough time trying to work out a way around it.

* * *

As she knew they would, they saw reason, although the children cried and cried. They didn't understand everything; but they did understand that it meant they wouldn't see their fathers for a very long time. Anne wouldn't remember Sirius at this age, and James especially hated the thought of her calling him 'Daddy'. But it couldn't be helped. Not if they all wanted to live.

And not, as only Hermione knew, if they wanted to have a chance at a happily ever after for everyone.

Even her father.

From the shadows, Hermione, James, and Annie watched as their home at Godric's Hollow was blown apart. Lily, now further along in her pregnancy, had already moved to the castle. The fake bodies were inside the house, and they could hear Harry crying. Dumbledore was aware of what was happening, and had sent help. How he had convinced Severus that telling Voldemort about the prophecy was the only thing to do – without telling him about Hermione's time travelling – was beyond her. His memory would be altered as well.

Hermione didn't tell Dumbledore that she would be altering everyone's memories. It was the only way.

* * *

The years rolled over, and Hermione constantly regretted that things had to be this way. Even though she knew what would happen ultimately, it was hard. Every time Lily fell pregnant, it very nearly killed her inside that she couldn't have any more children, at least not for a long time. By the time she saw her husband again, it was possible that neither of them could have children anyway, especially with Sirius's long stay in Azkaban.

She and Annie sought out their husbands in 1993, and Hermione would lift the spell long enough for them to reunite as though nothing had ever changed. Then the spell would be returned once sleep claimed Sirius or Remus. They would also venture out using Polyjuice Potion, Annie to see Remus, and Hermione to help Snuffles whenever she could. She would give him food, or leave a newspaper conveniently lying around, especially during their fourth year.

Finally, less than a year before they were due to be reunited with their family and friends, and leave this prison of a former castle, Lily fell pregnant one last time. By Hermione's estimation, she would be giving birth a few weeks after the reunion. Unfortunately, when the time came, she was in no condition to be moved, nor suffer such an emotional upheaval.

She and James couldn't apologise enough, and offered to stay behind; but Hermione knew that that would be unfair to Harry, even with the memories she had started to feed him, letting her imagination out to play. The children were shy of finishing their education, and Hermione was going to make sure that they all attended Hogwarts, at least until the end of the school year. Bill, James and Trevor would surely fly through their NEWTs, which they would need to get work, and Anne would finish school with Harry's year, being the same age as him.

"Did you send him another memory?" Lily asked, standing beside Hermione at the window.

"Yes."

"We really didn't plan to get pregnant again…"

* * *

**Last few lines were from chapter six, because of reasons.**

**Okay, reasons being that I felt like it. Kind of ties things together, y'know?**

**As I've said in the latest chapter of "Finding True Love", I'm so, so, so sorry for taking so long to get around to writing and posting this. College and work placement got in the way, a poor excuse considering that I wrote this so quickly. As it is, I fully intend to devote part of my holidays to writing the rest of this, and posting it for you lovely, beautiful/handsome, forgiving people, whom I all adore more than life itself.**

…**Am I forgiven?**

**By the way, I can't remember what year I made them when Hermione travelled back in time, so let's make it sixth year. The boys will be too old to still attend Hogwarts, obviously, but it's not my fault that Hermione and Sirius were already parents by the time Voldemort 'killed' Lily and James. I've done my best with the whatsits at hand. So… yeah. Let's pretend that their education has been sporadic, but that they're as intelligent as their parents, and will therefore sail through their final exams. Right? Right.**


	26. The Revelation and Students at Hogwarts

"The Revelation and Students at Hogwarts"

"You mean I don't have to be the Chosen One?" Harry asked.

Hogsmeade weekends were extremely useful; and Hermione and friends were using one of them to catch up with the children who were at Hogwarts. Harry was holding his sister Katie on his lap, staring at his Aunt Mia incredulously.

"It's possible," she replied. "I hope I can save you from that in this time. At the very least, I can help you."

"How?"

Hermione chewed her lip.

"I have a number of ideas," she said. "I don't like to say, in case they don't work; and they may only work if you don't know that I'm helping you, not if the prophecy means that you must do this alone, _to your knowledge_. Perhaps we should check the prophecy again, and see whether or not it's changed due to my… interference."

"Hey, you didn't mean to go back in time," Ginny said.

"I know that I didn't," Hermione said. "But the fact is that I was supposed to. I just didn't know it."

"None of us did," Sirius murmured, pressing into her side. She pressed back.

"Hogwarts knew," she said. "My emotional levels were off the charts – so to speak – and I believe that was the contributing factor. Otherwise, Hogwarts could have sent me back anytime, even my first night here. No. It was when Ron attacked me that…" She trailed off, swallowing, and took a sip of her butterbeer. "Hogwarts protected me by sending me back to my real time."

"You were born twenty years earlier, and just sent forward?" Harry asked. Sirius stiffened beside Hermione. She nodded.

"Clearly," she said. "How else would I have children older than you, older than I was when I disappeared?"

"I just want to know what happened to Ron," Harry whispered. "He was our best friend. Why did he do such a thing?"

"I want to find out," Hermione said. "I can only do that now. If I could go to Azkaban and question him, I would, but I can't risk the…" She blushed, and Sirius smirked. Ginny gasped.

"You're not," she said. Lily and Annie were also gaping at her.

"I am."

The redhead squealed, and immediately tried to hug Hermione across the table. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Gin."

"What's going on, Dad?" Trevor asked.

"You're getting a new brother or sister," Sirius said.

"Way to go," James said, and he and Sirius high-fived each other. "Another round of drinks, on me, Rosmerta!"

"Mum, can I talk to you alone later?" Anne said, leaning around her father. Hermione nodded.

"Of course, honey," she said. "We could go to the bookshop."

"Okay."

The students rarely – if ever looked for divination textbooks on the weekend, so Anne and Hermione were safe to pretend to browse the shelves while they actually talked.

"Something weird happened the other day, while I was trying to find Professor Flitwick's office," Anne said. "I found this door which led to a small library. The door just sort of appeared in front of me. It was on the third floor, I think. I asked one of my friends about it, but she'd never heard of it. Then I asked the Fat Friar, and he'd never seen anything like that before, not where I'd found it. I tried to show him, but when it appeared he couldn't see it. Neither could any of my friends."

"That's strange," Hermione agreed, glad she had the excuse to continue pretending to browse the books.

"But, Mum, when I showed John and Trevor, they could see it," she said. "Bill couldn't, though, so it can't be anything to do with us staying at that old castle, can it?"

"Logical reasoning."

"Do you have any ideas?"

She didn't know how to tell Anne. She didn't know how to tell any of her children, assuming she decided to. It was something she and Sirius had to discuss. Eventually, they would need to be told; but when? And would they wait until all the children were old enough – including the one on the way – or would they do it as each child came of age? But then, the boys were already of age…

"Mum? Mum!" Anne hissed. Hermione shook herself out of her thoughts.

"I'm not sure, love," she said. She knew the guilt of lying to her daughter would eat at her; but, for all she knew, it might not have had anything to do with her heritage. "At Hogwarts, peculiar things happen all the time. Maybe the castle likes me." She laughed weakly, shrugging. Anne seemed to accept this answer.

"So what do I tell the boys?" she asked.

"Tell them not to worry about it, and that such a magical, sentient building is allowed its little whims. And, honey?"

"Yeah?"

"…Don't go into any rooms that suddenly appear, all right?"

"All right, Mum."

* * *

Severus was never so glad that he was an Occlumens. He could not stop thinking about Violet. Dumbledore truly had saved him by ensuring his place as a spy, so that Severus had less of the dirty work to do. If he had had to harm any more Muggleborns than necessary – especially with his own two hands (or wand) – he would have defected.

On second thoughts, that would have been better. Had he lived to tell the tale, he would not have had to face the father of the woman he still loved, knowing that his daughter lived, and that Severus was seeing her. Talk about the father from hell.

That is… Severus _had_ been seeing her. He had no idea what to do now. He wanted Violet; he had always wanted her. And when he finally had her, everything had been ruined. There was no way that he could blame her, not when she had been so brave. And he likely would have been angry if she did not tell him until after they were married.

Would they even marry now? Would she still want to speak to him after he suffered from speechlessness? Merlin only knew what she thought of him for not comforting or reassuring her straight away.

Yet, no matter how good an Occlumens he was, such strong emotions could not be hidden.

Especially from the Dark Lord.

* * *

"And what news have you for me, Severus?" Voldemort asked, stroking Nagini. The potions master looked up.

"My lord," he began. As he gave a briefing on the events at Hogwarts, Voldemort studied him. There was something slightly… off about Severus that night, some kind of emotion he had not sensed in him before. Not even when the Potters, Blacks, and Lupins had been destroyed.

_Supposedly_ destroyed. He had been angry that he had been taken in by such an intricate deception. And yet even then, Severus had not been heartbroken over the deaths of his former friends; nor had Lucius and Narcissa…

Heartbroken. That was it.

"Severus," he interrupted. He halted immediately. "Your heart is not altogether in this. Perhaps some young lady has captured your eye?"

"I… It is nothing that will affect my work for you, my lord. It is not serious."

"You are certain?"

"Yes, my lord. You have my devotion, as always."

"Yet you are distracted." Voldemort stroked his chin, leaning forward on his elbow.

"I apologise most sincerely, my lord. It will not happen again. The wound is fresh, that is all. Time will heal it." He said it with a straight face. Voldemort was unsure whether or not to believe him.

"Who is she?" he asked. "Is she sympathetic to our cause?"

"I had not ascertained that when she broke our association. I never discussed your work, naturally."

"Don't you mean 'our work', Severus?"

"Of course. But my work is also teaching. That I could discuss with her."

"A former student?"

"Of course not! I mean, no, my lord."

"Righteous indignation I can understand, Severus. Yet I would desire to know who she is? Is she pure?"

"I… I believe so…"

A single moment of weakness, and Voldemort felt the words 'your daughter'. His eyes widened; and when he saw Severus mirror his involuntary actions, they both knew he had been caught.

"Which one?" he asked harshly.

"M-my lord, I do not under—"

"You know perfectly well what I mean!" His chair scraped the floor as he stood, and Severus stumbled to his feet, without his usual grace. "Which one is it, and where is she?"

"My lord—"

"Severus… _where is my daughter_?"

* * *

Even a Pensieve could not tell Severus how he had escaped unscathed. His skills at defence had to have been the only explanation. And possible help from Lucius and Narcissa. Voldemort's own emotional state may also have affected his aim; because not one spell touched Severus.

"Mia!" he shouted as soon as he reached Grimmauld Place's living room. Sirius was there.

"What's wrong, Sev?" he asked.

"Is that you, Severus?" Hermione called from the direction of the kitchen.

"Violet's in danger; you're both in danger," he said. "The Dark Lord knows. He… please do not ask. But he knows that at least one of you is alive. And I cannot return."

"You mean we're finally going to battle?" Sirius asked. Hermione ran into the room, removing an apron from around her waist.

"How does he… no, never mind," she said. She must have seen the look on his face. "I will contact her immediately. She doesn't want me to; but it's for the best. All he will have to do is search for us by our first names. And while I am known as Mia to many people, he may figure out that I'm also his Hermione. And Violet is an unusual name. He will know." She fumbled with the tie, and Sirius had to undo it for her. "Thank you, dear. Right. Severus, you return to Hogwarts and tell the headmaster. Sirius, start contacting everyone in the Order. I'm going to Violet's house."

"I have to warn her…"

"He will track your movements," she said. She bit her lip. "At least we are safe from detection here, and you are safe at the school. Sirius, there's more floo powder in the uppermost far left kitchen cupboard. Severus, have a drink before you go. I'll bring Violet back here, if you want to see her."

"I don't think I should," he said.

"She told you about our parents?"

"Yes."

"And does it change anything?"

"Not for me. But I didn't react when she told me. At all. And…"

"And you think she won't forgive you for that," Hermione concluded. He nodded. "She will. She loves you, Severus. When you love someone, you forgive them anything. Sirius forgave me when I told him."

"I should never have lost my temper," Sirius murmured. "At least Severus doesn't care."

"Please hurry," Severus said. Hermione nodded, untucked her wand, and flooed away first.

"I've got some Firewhiskey in here," Sirius said, leading Severus to the drinks cabinet. "Don't tell her."

"Black, this is Mia. She will already know."

"I think you underestimate my sneakiness."

* * *

"Violet?" Hermione searched the house for life; but her spell revealed nothing. "Oh, Merlin's balls. St. Mungo's it is."

Fortunately, the hospital wasn't too busy. One of the nurses told Hermione where she could find her sister.

"How's the Potter child?" she asked.

"Fine, fine," Hermione said vaguely, itching to get away. "Have a nice night."

"You too, Mrs. Black."

Violet was just finishing her shift when Hermione caught up with her. She frowned, and began to turn away; but Hermione grabbed her arm.

"You're coming with me, sis, even if I have to stun you first," she said.

"Abduction is still illegal, last I heard," Violet said. Hermione studied her face.

"There are Glamours on both of us," she said. "But never mind. Your life is in danger. Come with me."

"How could my life be in danger?"

"You-Know-Who… our father knows that at least one of us is alive."

"How…? Oh. _Severus_."

"If I know Severus Snape at all – and I do; I know him better than you – then he was undoubtedly thinking of you while he was at a meeting, to the point where he couldn't hide it, even with his exceptional powers of Occlumency. And he thinks you won't forgive him for not saying anything when you told him about us. It's tearing him apart."

"Even if that's true, what do I have to fear from our father? I imagine he'd be so happy that he wouldn't hurt us."

"Do you really suppose our relationship to him makes us any safer?" Hermione asked, disbelieving. "Even if it doesn't put you in the line of fire from people on our side, if you choose to fight on our side then you will have Death Eaters and their fellow sympathisers after you. And we don't know what time may have done to his mental state." She shook her head. "Anything could happen, and I want you safe. Severus knows him well enough. If he thinks that we're in danger, I would rather trust his word. Violet, please. You're my only sister. I always wanted a sister, felt this kind of unexplainable hole inside. Now that I know I was missing a twin… I don't want to lose you again."

There were tears in Violet's eyes; Hermione could see them. "I can't face him again," she said hoarsely.

"You have to. Do you want Death Eaters to come to St. Mungo's? As soon as _he_ knows someone with your name works here, he will send someone. And if any of your co-workers tries to protect you, or won't tell them where you are, they'll probably be killed. Do you want that on your conscience?" Violet shook her head violently. "Then please come with me. We have to get you out of here."

"It's the end of my shift, but my next one…"

"By your next shift," Hermione said, "we hope to be at war, and end this once and for all."

They strode through the hospital. As Violet was signing out, she asked whether Severus would still be at their house.

"Once Sirius has given him a glass of Firewhiskey from his 'secret' stash, I'm sure he'll be on his way," Hermione said.

* * *

**Hermione knows all.**

**I've written this while we're at the library, in the nice, air-conditioned shopping centre. The temperature's supposed to be hitting 39 degrees Celsius, which is about 102 Farenheit. So… it's high. We'll go to Aunty Von's later. But I felt the need to work on fan fiction while we're here, since the council's wi-fi is so slow. Lots of people in here, escaping the heat.**

**It's almost midday, which is precisely the time to stay inside. Mind you, there are some clouds outside, and a bit of a breeze. Maybe it won't be so bad.**


	27. Avoidance, Family, and Memories

"Avoidance, Family and Memories"

The sting of the Dark Mark felt fresh weeks after the event. Judging by Lucius and Narcissa's expressions whenever they met, they felt the same way. Severus developed a cream to ease the pain, so that they had the sensation if the Dark Lord called, but the ache would wear off soon enough. He didn't offer it to anyone else; it was too dangerous.

There was a short amount of time between receiving the Mark and beginning his career at Hogwarts, long enough for him to frequent Diagon Alley to stock up on supplies. He kept underestimating the amount of parchment and ink he would go through simply planning lessons and contacting Horace Slughorn for advice. He had to establish a network of contacts with suppliers and fellow potions professors from different parts of the world. Drafting letters also took parchment and ink.

"Finally," he muttered, pretending not to juggle the rolls and bottles as he tried to slip them into a bag. The pressure of the straps irritated the Mark staining the flesh of his left arm, and he hissed. Delicate hands reached out and took the parchment, giving him the opportunity to put everything away.

"Perhaps you need someone to help you carry things while you're shopping," Violet said, her voice a welcome peal in Severus' dark world. He lightened.

"Thank you," he said. "But I do not require help."

Her smile wavered, and she nodded. "Have a nice day," she said.

"Good afternoon."

After that scare – feeling the presence of the Mark seconds before seeing _her_ – he was much more aware of his surroundings, and avoided her at all costs. His last visit to Diagon Alley couldn't have come and gone quickly enough. He was so relieved to be on the Hogwarts Express that he even pretended that he wasn't hallucinating Violet running onto platform nine-and-three-quarters just as the train set off. He simply ignored the students, giving them a very disagreeable look whenever they misbehaved in his presence.

And memorised each and every one of their faces. Some were only a few years younger than him. He would have to work at becoming someone worthy of respect.

No. Not respect. As a Death Eater, he couldn't afford to be kind to everyone.

He would have to make everyone but the Slytherins fear him. Despise him, even.

Damn his life. If only things could have been different. If only the Dark Lord had never become the Dark Lord…

* * *

Voldemort liked hearing of any misfortune that befell Harry Potter, and particularly relished causing them. Depriving the child of his family and friends was his way of spitting in Albus Dumbledore's face for doing the same to _him_, all those years ago.

Time – and Dark magic – had taken its toll on certain of Lord Voldemort's memories. He could barely remember what Glamours had been placed on Violet. His one consolation, through this whole affair – losing his wife, their unborn child, and losing Hermione – was that Violet was still likely to be alive somewhere. It was probable that her foster parents had changed her name, and he had little interest in searching Hogwarts' school records. Of course, that was something he could order Severus to do…

Meanwhile, he allowed himself to wonder how Violet had been brought up. She would be out of school now; with her parents' brains, she would have received honours for her OWLs and NEWTs, there was no doubt. Perhaps she was married? He had left her with her amethyst eyes, such a contrast to her twin's chocolate brown irises. If Violet was married, did she have children? Did they take after their mother or their father? And would genes transcend Glamours?

Hermione… ah, she would have grown to be a beauty as well. Her dark hair and dark eyes reminded Voldemort of himself… no. Of Tom. There had always been one little curl that stuck out at the side. Or was it part of her fringe? He had trouble remembering. And he refused to open the trunk. Everything was in there, safely ensconced in _their_ room at the school. Never would he touch it again.

Lord Voldemort had no need of sentimental memories.

There was no Tom Riddle.

* * *

A diary seemed the best way of keeping track of the false memories that Hermione was feeding to Harry. She listed each one at the back of her notebook, giving as few details as possible, a great contrast to the level of detail in each vision. She cultivated them carefully beforehand, storing them in her personal Pensieve. She used a Scrying Glass that she had modified to invade Harry's mind.

It was a terrible invasion, but it had to be done. She wanted her best friend to think that he had experienced happy moments in his life so far.

But that wasn't her only reason.

"How's it going, Mia?" Lily asked, sticking her head around the frame of the door. Hermione's gaze flitted down to her friend's swollen stomach, and then back up to the familiar emerald eyes.

"Fine," she said. "He thinks that we saw _The Lion King_ for his birthday."

"Was it even at the movies then?"

"Does it matter?" Hermione asked, her quill still hovering above the page. "It wasn't real, and he won't question it. It's a memory. Besides," she turned back to her writing, "we watched it on video, not at the cinema."

"Okay," Lily said. She tapped the doorframe. "Don't forget to brush your teeth before bed."

"Yes, _Mum_."

She couldn't smile, even as she heard Lily's chuckles as her friend walked away. She replied to the call of 'good night', then finished her note.

Hermione sighed, and massage the side of her head. Yes, Harry would have his happy memories.

But more importantly, he would know that they had been planted. And as soon as he began telling the others, they would know.

They would know that they would all be reunited soon, and that happy times would come. One day.

She flipped to the front of the book, then turned pages until she reached the end of her previous entry. It was a large notebook, which magically added pages as she went. With her knowledge gained at Hogwarts – both through the library and through the hidden rooms she kept discovering – and in the library of this building they called home, she had been keeping track of her plan. Her ultimate goal.

_I hope that I have not been exhausting my magicks,_ she wrote. _When the final battle is called, and when the time comes, I must focus everything on the one spell. There are ways to ensure that I will have the maximum possible magical energy, although I balk at some of them. Most of them, actually. Sev will help me if I ask him, and so will Madame Pomfrey. So will the headmaster, for that matter._

_It won't be long now until…_

"Damn!" she hissed when she accidentally knocked her ink bottle. She hastened to clean the desk and notebook, and then her clothes. The protective wards around the pseudo castle ensured that no one would be able to detect magic from its Unplottable location, which meant that they were free to use even the simplest of spells without fear of being discovered.

Once she was clean, she sat down again. A glance at the wall clock showed that it was nearly half-past eleven. Time flew by when she was breaking into Harry's mind. The process was complicated, delicate, and lengthy. Sighing, she took up the quill again.

_It won't be long now until I change the past to save the future._

A sudden yawn nearly cracked Hermione's jaw. She dried the ink, cleaned the quill, capped the bottle, and shut and stored the book. Once the lights were doused and the door locked, she visited each child's room. Her own progeny were still awake, each of them reading. She reprimanded them gently, kissed their foreheads, and bid them good night.

It felt too familiar doing this solo. A decade and a half had conditioned her to tuck in her children by herself. What would it be like when she had Sirius back?

But there was no question.

It would be marvellous.

* * *

**So ashamed. Those of you who have me on Author Alert – presuming I still deserve such an honour – will know that I've been inundating the interwebs with fan fiction for other fandoms, and one Christmas story. Fans of Severus Snape would enjoy it, actually. It's called something along the lines of 'A Present for Dumbledore', and is, I think, 100 words long. Or something.**

**Anyway, getting on with this while I can. My one consolation is that there are only three chapters remaining of this story, and that they're plotted. Just not written.**

**In my defence! In my defence, I've been working on a detective novel. It's part of a series I started work on ten and a half years ago. Now that the whole thing has been reborn, so to speak, I've started work on it again. Five chapters down, unknown number to go.**

**Am I being sufficiently tantalising? And have you noticed some of the similarities in Hermione and Voldemort's thought whatsits?**


	28. Battle, 'Father', and Glamours

"Battle, 'Father', and Glamours"

At the Blacks' residence, Severus and Sirius were waiting by the fireplace, watching each member of the Order of the Phoenix pour out, one at a time. There was a crack from just inside the front gate, and Arthur looked out the window.

"It's Hermione," he said.

"Good," Sirius said, frowning into his shot glass of Firewhiskey. "She's staying here."

"How do you propose to keep her away from battle?" Severus asked.

"He makes a good point, Sirius."

"Yes, thanks for the support, Arthur," Sirius said. His heart clenched as Hermione and Violet walked into the room. Violet hesitated when she and Severus looked at each other. (Sirius really wasn't paid enough for this.)

"Put the Firewhiskey back in the drinks cabinet," Hermione ordered her husband. Sirius was grateful that at least Severus was too distracted to say 'I told you so'. He should have guessed that Hermione would know about it.

"Stay here," Sirius begged softly as he leaned past Hermione to slip the bottle into the cabinet. "The child—"

"Needs a safe world," she said. "I won't have any child of mine growing up in a dangerous environment… not another child of mine."

"But you could lose—"

"Then we will get past the loss. It isn't even formed yet, Sirius. I'm sorry, but my mind is on the fighting ahead of us. If that makes me a bad mother, then I'm a bad mother."

"No," he said, stroking her hair. "You're a wonderful mother."

"You missed our children's upbringing," she said. He noticed that she was blinking back tears. "Sirius, trust me. It will work out for the best, no matter what happens. We can be together forever, Sirius. We'll always be together."

"Mia…" He sighed when her expression hardened into that familiar stubborn look. "All right. But I'm not leaving your side."

"I promise not to put myself in unnecessary danger."

It went unsaid that, as a Gryffindor, she would never hesitate to put herself in necessary danger. He just wished that there wasn't an unborn child at stake as well as his wife, the wife he'd only recently found again.

* * *

Hermione and Violet stood on a plain, the Order of the Phoenix and the older Hogwarts students behind them. Some of the teachers had remained at the school to help the younger students craft potions and weapons for those soon to be in battle.

To the average spectator, there was nothing to see. But to Hermione, Violet, and the Black children, there was a large castle, the castle where Hermione, Annie, the Potters and their offspring had lived for years. They were the only ones familiar with the property, and thus were able to give their side the advantage should the fighting move inside. A direct passage from Hogwarts to the old boarding 'house' had been established so that weapons and potions could be delivered, and the wounded sent to the hospital wing at the school.

"What might have been?" Violet said, staring as Hermione removed the enchantments hiding the building from view. There were gasps from those watching. "If we hadn't been separated when we were…"

"If my plans backfire, and you survive this and I don't, go to the Ministry and ask for a trunk from the Department of Mysteries. It will respond to your wand, as long as you wield it." Hermione smiled shakily at her twin sister. "Our history is in there. I've left memories for you, as well."

Violet studied Hermione. "What are your plans?" she asked.

Hermione shrugged uneasily. "To make the world a better place. To change what was – and has been – into what, as you said, might have been."

"How do you _plan_ to do that?"

"Magic," Hermione quipped, and she grinned at Violet, who unexpectedly burst out laughing.

"Good thing there's plenty of room here," Remus said, wandering up to them with his arm around Annie's waist. She'd insisted on coming along. Mrs. Figg was babysitting the Potter children, since James couldn't stop Lily, either. As Sirius said, that was the problem with marrying strong women. And somehow they'd all managed it.

"Keep the students from going any further than the few rooms they know about," Hermione said. "We want them in sight at all times."

"It's a pity we had to lock the Slytherin students up," Minerva said. "Those we could find."

"I hope you're being ironic, Minnie," Sirius said.

"After all these years, Sirius Black, you should know when I am exercising irony and when I am being perfectly serious," she replied, the feather in her hat quivering.

Remus' lips twitched in amusement. "She was being ironic, Sirius."

"Just checking," Sirius said, narrowing his eyes. He huffed even as Hermione wound her arm around his waist.

"I can feel it," she whispered. "He's near. They'll be here in moments."

"At the ready!" Sirius bellowed to those assembled. They all drew their wands, and the plain was surrounded by cracks as Death Eaters appeared before them a split second later.

"How do we destroy him?" Harry asked, nearing Hermione.

"Leave that to me, Harry," she said. "There's only one thing we can do. Violet?"

"Yes, Mia?"

"Stay close. You're part of my plan."

* * *

Flashes of light lit up the field, red and green and yellow and blue and every other colour in between. Bodies flew past, or crumpled to the ground. The fighting moved closer to the boarding castle. All the while, Hermione kept her eyes peeled for Voldemort. She needed to confront him.

Violet spotted him first. Hermione's only warning was a loud gasp from where her sister was at her eight o'clock, only a few yards away. Hermione sent Stinging Hexes into her foe's eyes, and then followed her sister as she pelted along the grass, dodging between battlers and under spells. Hermione cast a Shielding Charm over them both.

"Severus!" Violet shrieked. Voldemort and Severus were exchanging non-verbal curses, neither blinking as they fought. Before Violet could do something stupid, Hermione grabbed her arm, almost getting an elbow to the face for her trouble.

"Don't distract him," she said. "We have to stop this, yes. But together. Anything else could prove fatal."

At that moment, they heard James cry out in pain. The blaze of purple faded, but he fell to the ground and remained still. There was no time to check him out; he was too far away, and Hermione knew that there was more at stake. It was more important than checking the pulse of her fallen friend.

"You Shield Severus while I distract… him," Hermione whispered harshly into Violet's ear. "Do you understand? Knock his arm up and Shield him, and encourage him to turn his attentions to someone else. They're fighting over you."

Violet looked uncertain. "He could die—"

"He _will_ die if you don't do as I say. Throw his aim, Shield him, and distract him. Do that and nothing else. Do you understand?"

After a moment's hesitation, and the cries of a few students, she nodded. They both ran to their respective targets, ducking more enchantments on the way. Violet played her part perfectly, and Hermione threw herself in front of Voldemort's wand. His gaze then zeroed in one her.

"Potter's Mudblood," he spat. She flinched, but refused to back off, even as the Killing Curse seemed to be forming on his lips.

_Your daughter_, she thought. "Call off this battle now, before anyone else is hurt."

"Why should I heed your advice?" he asked. Hermione noticed Sirius approaching out of the corner of her eye. More people – Light and Dark alike – went down in showers of different colours. The worst were the green lights. At least four students were dead, from what she had observed, two members of the Order, and one of the teachers. Several Death Eaters as well.

"Because you were made into this person," she said. "It could have been different."

Voldemort sneered. Her blood ran cold as the sneer turned into a twisted grin, and his wand flicked in Sirius' direction. Hermione did what she had to.

"Father, _stop_!" she shouted.

Her voice echoed around the valley. Those who heard barely spared them a glance, until they realised who had spoken and to whom she was speaking.

Voldemort's wand hand wavered, and silence began to fall around them. Lily's broken sobs from where she was trying to wake James were almost loud.

"What did you say?" he hissed.

"I asked you… I told you to stop. For all our sakes." She gestured behind her, holding out her hand. Eventually, Violet grasped it, and Hermione pulled her around. "I think we would both appreciate it if you stopped trying to kill the people your daughters love."

His gaze moved between them. "Hermione. That name… Mia was short for Hermione all this time. And Potter's Mud— friend. You…" He looked at Violet. "You are Violet?"

"I have the eyes to match," she said, voice breaking on 'eyes'. "Father."

Hermione had known that they had no time to find and destroy the horcruxes; she'd known that even before Severus had told them about his disastrous last meeting with Lord Voldemort. And if she had to have a hope of fulfilling her years-long dream of changing the past – the deep past – then she needed her father alive for a little while longer.

"I'm sorry if this hurts," Hermione said as she turned Violet to face her. "But he needs to see." She looked at Voldemort. "You need to see, don't you?"

He nodded shortly, still seeming to be ever alert to their surroundings. Hermione trusted Sirius, Severus, and everyone else to ensure their safety while she completed this all-important task. Turning her wand on her sister, Hermione systematically removed every possible Glamour she had been able to identify during their meetings (and her stalking, but nobody needed to know about that). Violet whimpered, and there were tears in her unchanged eyes; yet her real face appeared bit by bit.

Violet – a licensed Healer – was able to remove every change to Hermione's features much more swiftly, and no doubt painlessly. Hermione hissed in through her teeth, but knew that this needed to be done.

"Merlin, they really are twins," someone said. Hermione knew that if she looked in a mirror right now, she would look nearly exactly the same as Violet, but for their eyes. Then they turned to Voldemort.

He had been watching them the whole time, of course. However, face to face with them now, all he could do was gape, hyperventilate, and fall to his knees.

Yes, he was her enemy. But he was also her father, and Hermione ran to his side. He was holding his stomach; not a sound was uttered around the valley as everyone stayed riveted to the real-life family drama unfolding before them. Hermione hoped that Dumbledore felt regret for his part in this.

"What have I done?" Voldemort said, and he groaned as he collapsed to his side.

"Do you feel remorse?" Hermione asked, shaking his shoulders. There was such a look of pain in his eyes that it was hard not to turn away. Yet he rolled onto his back, breathing shallow, and she felt, rather than saw, Violet crouch beside her. "Father, do you feel remorse for all those people you killed, and all the lives ruined? For taking away our childhoods, and the childhoods of your grandchildren? You have grandchildren, Father, and you've made their lives miserable through what you did. Tell me now. _Do you feel remorse_?"

He gasped once, clutching his chest, and nodded.

"I feel remorse," he said.

And like that, he died. Simply passed away.

The only movement in the field was Hermione taking his hand.

* * *

**But that's not all! More to come.**

**Six months since the last update. I'm the worst person alive. On the other hand, I'm now a qualified library technician, and there are only two chapters left, already plotted. Sigh. Hope this was worth the wait.**

**Hermione's plan can now come to fruition! We get to see her putting it into place in the next chapter.**


	29. Early On and Accepting the Inevitable

**Warning: Gets a bit M-rated towards the end. I've kept it fairly sedate, but if you start to get uncomfortable, then just skip to the end of the chapter, or the author note. It's mostly implications, so it's relatively safe.**

"Early On and Accepting the Inevitable"

_A long time ago_

The thing about time travel is that it is the ultimate unknown variable. It is complex, highly theorised, and – so far – only capable through magic. As far as she knew, Hermione was the world's first true time traveller. A few hours through a Time-Turner meant nothing; going back twenty years, to a time when she was not yet born, was true time travelling, and she did not take her responsibility lightly.

All along, Hermione knew that she wanted to change it all. Change what would be to what she wished it could be. Yet if she changed what was her past, everyone else's future, then it would never take place. Sirius had never mentioned being married, nor fathering any children. And maybe it would never happen. Maybe Hermione's destiny was, all along, to go back in time and then die. Maybe she was never meant to live past eighteen, never see the end of the war. Never see Voldemort – her father – fall.

Only a few weeks into the past, Hermione had found something so incredible, so complex, that she dismissed it at once. Unfathomable. Impossible.

Now, after many revelations, Hermione revisited the idea. She returned to the library, located the book, and sat down to read. She surreptitiously cast a charm which would make her unnoticeable, and settled back in the comfortable armchair.

"'Meld timelines'," she murmured. "'Bring together two loose ends, and connect them. If you have travelled forward in time, this spell will pull forward the past to the present, and you can shape the future as you wish. Note: ill intentions may backfire on the caster.' No. I travelled back." She turned to the next page. "'If you have instead travelled back in time, the spell will operate in the reverse. The future – your present – will be taken from the point where you disappeared, and become one with the current present. While in theory this should not be necessary, the momentum of dragging the future backwards will allow you to change the past – the current past – to suit your will. Note: ill intentions will certainly backfire.'"

She sighed, and let her gaze drift from the spell book. The trouble was that she was never meant to be Hermione _Granger_. She was Hermione Riddle, all along. If she made one mistake, she could destroy them all utterly. Past, present, and future; gone, because of one ambitious witch.

But she knew what this world was, and how much better it could be. There would never be a world without evil; humankind did not have the capacity for infinite kindness. Yet she could fix this.

Which would she choose? Hermione continued to read, taking in every detail, and examining the problem from every viewpoint.

If she waited until the future to cast the spell, she could only change the future, not the past. If she cast the spell now, she could alter the past, further back than she had travelled, perhaps much further back. And if she could change her father's path, she could grow up as Hermione Riddle. This was truly her time, after all. It was the most logical thing to do.

And yet…

If she continued the way she had originally intended, she would make herself, Annie, Lily, and James 'disappear' until soon after future-Hermione travelled back in time, after Ron attacked her. Casting the Time Melding Spell would make these plans redundant. She had created said plans so that she would continue the time loop undisturbed, and merely 'appear' again in the future. That was until she discovered her true heritage. That knowledge changed everything.

Now Hermione didn't know where she belonged. Technically, she belonged here. The past/present. She had grown up in the future/present, but she was born twenty years earlier. She had a twin sister, she had Sirius, she had friends. There was no time loop. Hogwarts had returned her to her original time. But was there a purpose?

Madame Pince didn't say anything when Hermione borrowed the book. She wandered through the school, having stayed behind from Hogsmeade because she had a headache and cramps (not altogether a lie). Once she reached the right place, Hermione awaited the door to appear. It soon did, and she went into her parents' secret hideaway.

Sitting atop the trunk, Hermione sighed, and cracked open the text. The one thing that made no sense was 'Once your anchor (optional) is in place, you may begin the incantation'. What anchor was this? Was she supposed to have something to tie her to one time? Or was the anchor a connection between this time and the future?

"Why can't it just _say_ what it means?" she said, frustrated. She leaned back against the wall, head resting against the cool stone. Anchor. _Anchor_.

She flipped through the book again. When it proffered no further explanation, she turned to the magical dictionary she kept with her at all times. She had bought it in Hogsmeade one weekend, as she did not have hers from the future. She tapped her wand on the letter 'A', and the pages filled with definitions of any words beginning with 'A', words to do with magic. The tome was affectionately known as the Muggleborn's Companion.

Hermione turned to 'anchor', and read: 'An anchor provides a link which transcends time and space, allowing an enchantment to work on both times and or places simultaneously.' Among the examples listed was the very spell Hermione had been researching.

The implications were dizzying, and Hermione sank to her knees. With enough power, she could cast the spell both ways at the same time, connecting past and future – and consequently the present – and eliminate any confusion. It would not matter that she was from both past and future, and that she had travelled both ways. If she used an anchor, she could ensure her own path to happiness, while doing the same for her father. He had done terrible things; but he must have had some redeeming features to have attracted someone reportedly as kind as her mother.

Timing was everything. The _key_ was everything. Ensuring that something remained in this time… something from her parents' past…

Slowly, Hermione's eyes slid to her trunk. There were things from their time at school in that trunk. With the right object, she could extend the spell all the way back to their schooldays. For that, she would need her father, she was sure. Her mother was long-dead; in the future, Voldemort was still alive. Tom Riddle had to be part of him, somewhere inside.

"That's it," she whispered. "I'll take something from now with me, wait until the time is right in the future – until I'm near him – and then cast the spell." Unwitting tears dripped down her cheeks, and she absently stuck her tongue out to wipe them away from her mouth. "Then maybe we'll have our mother… and I'll have a sister… and we'll be _happy_."

Hermione suddenly wrenched the trunk open, and searched through the contents, frantic to find what she was looking for.

A heart locket, in two halves. Hermione left one half concealed in the bottom of the trunk, the half which likely belonged to her father. She would need something belonging to her mother when she cast the spell; she just had a feeling that it would strengthen and focus the enchantment.

Hermione would leave the trunk at the Department of Mysteries, sealed tightly, until she could access it in the future. She would continue to work on her plans to stay hidden until her future self travelled back in time. And then when she was finally near her father – preferably with his soul intact, and no longer tainted with dark magic – she would take hold of him, clutching her mother's locket, and save them all.

* * *

The next weekend, Hermione sneaked up to the boys' dormitory, going over the contraceptive spell in her mind. Truthfully, it was a Friday night. But students could be notoriously lazy on a Saturday morning, and generally quite drowsy, so few would notice anything amiss. She hoped.

Hermione shook Sirius awake, and grinned at his startled 'Mia?'. She pressed a finger to his lips, signalling that he keep silent. She climbed onto the sheets beside him, drew the curtains back into place, and cast a silencing spell. Then she untied her dressing gown, parting it just enough for Sirius' eyes to widen when he realised what she was wearing underneath. To be more accurate, what she wasn't wearing underneath.

"Mia…" he breathed, and his eyes snapped back up to meet hers. "You don't have to do this."

"I know," she said. "That's why I'm doing it. If… if you want to."

"Yes," he said, and he pushed aside one part of the robe. "Merlin, _yes_."

Hermione murmured the contraceptive charm, pressing her wand to her belly, and felt it take hold. Then she put away her wand, let down her hair, and shoved the bag under Sirius' pillow. She leaned over him, allowing him to ogle her, and she blushed from head to toe. Sirius pushed the robe down over her shoulders, caressing every inch of skin that he uncovered.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. "The most beautiful girl I've ever seen, Hermione Granger."

He said it so sincerely that Hermione fell on him, covering his face with kisses, and moaning when he shoved the gown to her waist. As each minute passed, they grew closer to the point where Sirius sat up, and threw the gown to the end of the bed. Then he flipped Hermione onto her back and pinned her down.

"I love you, Sirius," she said. He kissed her again.

"I love you, too, Mia," he said, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke in her boyfriend's arms, to his lips caressing the shell of her ear.

"What brought this on?" he asked. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Good morning to you, too," she muttered, and then she cuddled closer. "I love you, and I want a future with you, no matter what happens."

"Same here, sweetheart," he said, and he stroked a hand down to her stomach. "I can't wait until we're married."

"You want me barefoot and pregnant?"

"Sometime, yeah," he said. "When it's safe."

"Destiny will take its course," Hermione said softly. She rubbed her legs together, and they ached a bit. She'd never used those muscles in that way before, and was sure she'd be paying for it today.

But she would never regret this.

* * *

**My plan is to write the last chapter, and post that ASAP. Sorry it's taken so long to get to this point. I'm quite nervous about whether or not this chapter – and the last – will be good enough after the rest of the story's build-up.**

**So… onto the next chapter, I s'pose.**

**Please review!**


	30. Deep Magic and a Change of History

"Deep Magic and a Change of History"

"_What have I done?" Voldemort said, and he groaned as he collapsed to his side._

"_Do you feel remorse?" Hermione asked, shaking his shoulders. There was such a look of pain in his eyes that it was hard not to turn away. Yet he rolled onto his back, breathing shallow, and she felt, rather than saw, Violet crouch beside her. "Father, do you feel remorse for all those people you killed, and all the lives ruined? For taking away our childhoods, and the childhoods of your grandchildren? You have grandchildren, Father, and you've made their lives miserable through what you did. Tell me now. Do you feel remorse?"_

_He gasped once, clutching his chest, and nodded._

"_I feel remorse," he said._

_And like that, he died. Simply passed away._

_The only movement in the field was Hermione taking his hand._

* * *

The only sound was the jingle of a chain, as Hermione wrapped Voldemort's hand around the two lockets. She kept her hand in his, her fingers also entwined around both necklaces, and clutched her wand.

"What are you doing?" Violet asked.

"I'm making this right," Hermione said. "I may need you nearby. If you have any last words before I do this—"

"What are you going to do?"

"Change everything," she said softly, looking up at her sister. "This will take a few minutes, but when I ask you to, I need you to come and stand behind me. It may help with casting the spell."

"Mia," Sirius said, and he fell to his knees beside Hermione. "Love, what will this spell do?"

Hermione considered the fact that there was a life growing inside of her. New life; renewal. Voldemort himself had been resurrected. The lockets were there, and evil had been purged from his soul. Violet was close at hand… No. She was walking over to Severus, who was beckoning her from where he was reclining on the ground. He was clutching his side, blood spreading beneath his hand. Violet dropped to the ground before him, and Hermione could hear her chanting healing spells. They didn't seem to be working.

"I was in shock," Severus said. There was blood at the corner of his mouth, and Hermione feared that it was from internal bleeding. "I love you, Violet. I always have. You _must_ know that."

"I never thought you would want me," Violet said, pausing between charms. "For Merlin's sake, why aren't they holding?"

"It was a spell," Severus said. He sounded almost amused, staring at Violet. "A Dark one."

Hermione couldn't see her twin's tears; but she heard the sobbing, felt her pain. "Sev…"

"Go back to Mia. She needs you."

"Sirius, can you please get the children?" Hermione said, her mind made up. Sirius nodded, and got to his feet. He stroked the top of his wife's hair, and then left.

It was just Hermione and her father.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered, to no one in particular. Then she cast a shield around them, stopping anyone from coming near. She heard some people cry out – Sirius' voice chief among them – but paid them no mind.

Letting go of her father's hand, Hermione reached into her cloak and retrieved a small vial. It contained a single memory, one from Dumbledore's Pensieve. It was the day her parents met, when they were both children. It must have been one of McGonagall's memories, when the first years mingled outside the Great Hall before going in to be sorted. Tom Riddle and Amalea Featherheart ended up standing beside each other, and as soon as their eyes met, they both froze.

The idea of love at first sight was ridiculous for eleven-year-olds, of course. But they seemed to be attached to each other from the word 'go'. Hermione had sifted through the memories at her insistence, and Dumbledore couldn't say no. Not when she told him what her intentions were.

Now, she placed the memory into her mind, wincing at the feeling that it didn't belong. She put away the phial, grasped Voldemort's hand and her wand again, and began the enchantment.

When it came down to it, the whole thing was much more sedate than she had imagined. Hermione had pictured something frantic and dangerous, distracting (among other things); not this peaceful whiteness, a blank canvas for her to paint. The foreign memory was scanned onto the canvas. Hermione pushed it along, chased it through time, and ensured that Amalea was Tom's first real friend, not someone he approached later. With her influence, Hermione believed that he would never turn to Dark magic while at Hogwarts. And if they were safe then…

Slowly, she felt her own features start to shift. Hermione grabbed on tight, pushing her own magic into the spell.

"Please let me be with Sirius," she said. "I need to be with him. I _must_ be with him. Please, please, please…"

Finally letting go of the enchantment, and thus sealing it into place, Hermione fell into darkness as the world around her morphed and changed. The blood-stained field and combatants slowly disappeared, as reality was altered forever.

* * *

_And So_

"I'm not even through my first trimester," Hermione complained.

"Be quiet, Mia, and let me do this," Sirius said sternly, and he hefted the new play equipment into place. Remus laughed as he helped out. James and Lily arrived, and Lily joined Annie and Hermione as James helped with the playground project.

"Why aren't they using magic?" Lily asked. James was clearly asking the same thing, judging by Sirius' guilty glance in Hermione's direction.

"Because Sirius had the misfortune to overhear us talking," Annie said. Hermione snorted into her chilled pumpkin juice. "Mia was saying that she loves seeing Sirius' physique, especially when his chest is glittering with sweat." Hermione blushed, and looked away as Lily sniggered. "So he stripped off his shirt and has been doing all of this work manually ever since. Remus opted to join him for a laugh. Not that _I'm_ complaining," she added, ogling her husband. Lily leaned back against the house in Hogsmeade, the new baby in her arms, and smiled as her husband also went shirtless.

"Mia, I hope you continue to say inappropriate things where your husband can hear you," she said.

"When's Casper arriving?" Annie asked, referring to Hermione and Violet's younger brother. "I know that Penny's still stuck in Africa, and is planning to come home in time for their next niece or nephew to be born."

"Poor Professor McGonagall's going to have another Lupin and another Black in twelve years' time," Lily said, shaking her head. She waved when James winked at her.

"I don't think the young Snapes are helping matters, no matter what Severus says," Hermione remarked. "Xavier and Caroline are just as mischievous as any of ours; they just know how to cover their tracks more effectively. And as far as I know, Casper's due in…" She checked her watch. "Half an hour. Mum and Dad are meeting him at the Ministry. Violet's managing to get away from St. Mungo's for an hour or so, but that won't be for awhile. Everyone else who's available will be here by four o'clock."

"The boys had better hurry up, then!" Annie said, loudly enough for the three men to hear. They jeered back, and the women laughed.

"How's the research going?" Hermione asked, changing the topic. "You know, on were-creatures?"

"Remus is doing well," Annie said, and she also sipped some of her juice. "He's careful to wear the right protective salves so that he isn't bitten, not even by accident. If he became a werewolf, can you imagine what that would do for his self-esteem? He was already shy when we met." She shook her head. "I know this paper is for the greater good, but it makes me nervous every time."

"That's why James and Sirius stay with him every time he conducts an interview," Lily said, patting Annie on the shoulder. "Now, Mia, can I please use your bathroom? I think this one is about to get hungry."

"Go right ahead," Hermione said, gesturing Lily into the house. Then she turned back to watch as the playground equipment took shape.

"This place will look perfect when it's done," Annie said. Hermione chuckled.

"It already is perfect," she said. "It's home."

THE END

* * *

**Done! Finally…**

**Much thanks to NoahPuckermansWifey for allowing me to adopt this story. The first four chapters were hers, which is why they were in a slightly different style. I hope she gets around to reading this sometime. And again, I apologise that it's taken this long. More than three years since I started posting it. I'm glad that I've at least finished it before I die. And I'm sure you all feel the same way.**

**Well, that's it, really. Please review! It feeds the author (or something).**

**Uh, for clarification: Hermione and Violet's younger brother (Amalea died giving birth to a stillborn child, remember?) is alive, all other children are as before, Tom and Amalea are still alive – and grandparents – and Remus never became a werewolf. There are undoubtedly more children, but it would be too much bother to work them out, and then mention them all.**


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